Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues

Can teams have fewer or more than four students?

Each team must be composed of exactly four undergraduate students.

What is meant by gender diversity?

All-male or all-female teams are not eligible to participate.

What is meant by nationality diversity?

Teams with only U.S. citizens or only PRC citizens will not be eligible to participate.

I am interested in finding a team member. If I send in my contact information who will you share it with?

Your information will only be shared with other students interested in finding team members.

What are the key deadlines?

• September 1, 2020 Deadline for submitting team validation
• October 1, 2020 Submissions due
• November 1, 2020 Finalists announced
• January 1, 2021 Finalists’ submissions due
• February 1, 2021 Winners announced

Are the awards taxable?

Yes, the awards are taxable income within the United States. The award for non-U.S. citizens will be subject to tax withholdings.

I’m a student at an American university based in China, am I considered a U.S.-based or PRC based student?

If you are enrolled at a university where you will spend a majority of your study in China, then you are considered a PRC based student. For example, an NYU Shanghai student that spends 2-3 years studying in Shanghai is considered a student at a PRC based university. An NYU student that only studies abroad in Shanghai for 1 year, is considered a U.S. based student.

Are there requirements for the formats of the essay and video?

Yes, the essay should be attached in MS Word format and the video in .mov or .mp4 format.

Does the essay need a list of references? Are the references included in the essay word count?


A list of references or bibliography of sources should be included. The references are not counted in the total essay word count.



Can Chinese sources or quotes be used in the essay?


Chinese sources are permitted. If the quotes are in Chinese, please provide English translations in parentheses following the quote.

Should the video be narrated?


Teams can decide how to present/narrate their video. Creativity is encouraged.

What if I have additional questions?

Please send any additional questions or inquiries about the U.S.-China Student Challenge to uschinadialogue@georgetown.edu.