A $200,000 gift from the Coca Cola Foundation will enable 30 Georgia Tech students to study in China during the next four years.

The grant will support a variety of study programs:  five scholarships of $10,000 each will support one-year deep immersion programs for students, five $6,000 scholarships will support students for semester immersion programs, and 20 students will receive $6,000 in support for faculty-led summer study programs.  The School of Modern Languages and the Office of International Education will announce student application procedures for the programs this fall.

The grant was given in support of the national 100,000 Strong Initiative announced in 2009 by President Obama with the intention of strengthening and diversifying American student studies in China. Georgia Tech is one of six universities receiving a portion of a $1 million commitment to the initiative by the Coca Cola Foundation.

"Through this grant, we hope to establish a stronger relationship to find common ground and build a better understanding between our nations," said Coca Cola Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent.  Kent chairs the U.S.-China Business Council.

The grant will fund China studies for a total of 160 students from Columbia University; Michigan State University; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Texas, Austin; and Morehouse College; as well as Georgia Tech.