The Liberal Arts Collegium
The Liberal Arts Collegium in China is a highly selective academic program that offers exceptional secondary students an authentic classroom experience modeled on the seminar traditions of the most prestigious U.S. colleges rooted in the liberal arts. Through intimate, discussion-driven courses led by distinguished college professors, the Collegium cultivates rigorous inquiry, close faculty mentorship, and the habits of mind that define elite undergraduate education, preparing students for sustained intellectual engagement at the highest levels.
Why LAC China?
Authentic collegiate seminars led by distinguished professors.
Courses are taught by established U.S. college faculty who bring the pedagogy, rigor, and classroom culture of leading U.S. colleges rooted in the liberal arts into an intimate seminar setting.
Rare access to nationally recognized scholars.
Students learn directly from Christopher Kingston in game theory and from Catherine Sanderson in psychology and well-being, engaging with ideas and methods typically reserved for undergraduates at top colleges.
Small cohort with close faculty mentorship.
Enrollment is capped to ensure sustained discussion, meaningful feedback, and individualized academic guidance rarely available to secondary students.
Intellectual rigor paired with informed college guidance.
The program integrates serious academic study with college admission seminars led by a former U.S. admissions officer, helping students connect academic exploration with thoughtful college preparation.
A Forward-Looking Liberal Arts Experience.
At leading U.S. institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Amherst, and Williams, undergraduate education is rooted in the liberal arts tradition. The capacities developed through this tradition prepare students to navigate societal change, including the impact of artificial intelligence, and to thrive amid uncertainty.
Selective research opportunities with faculty.
Outstanding graduates may be invited to work closely with professors on focused research projects, gaining individualized mentorship and early exposure to scholarly inquiry at the collegiate level, with the possibility of publications.
Faculty Profiles
Catherine Sanderson
Professor's Self-introduction Video
Catherine Sanderson is the POLER Family Professor of Psychology at Amherst College. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology, with a specialization in Health and Development, from Stanford University, and received both masters and doctoral degrees in psychology from Princeton University.
Her research has received grant funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health. Professor Sanderson has published over 25 journal articles and book chapters in addition to four college textbooks, middle school and high school health textbooks, as well as the Introduction to Psychology course for The Great Courses. In 2012, she was named one of the country's top 300 professors by the Princeton Review.
Professor Sanderson has written trade books on parenting as well as how mindset influences happiness, health, and even how long we live (The Positive Shift). Her latest trade book, published in North America as Why We Act: Turning Bystanders Into Moral Rebels (Harvard University Press) and internationally as The Bystander Effect: The Psychology of Courage and Inaction (HarperCollins), examines why good people so often stay silent or do nothing in the face of wrongdoing. Professor Sanderson speaks regularly to public and corporate audiences on topics such as the science of happiness, the power of emotional intelligence and growth mindset, the art of aging well, and the psychology of courage and inaction.
Her work has been featured in numerous mainstream media outlets, including The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Today, The Atlantic, CNN, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley.
Christopher Kingston
Professor's Self-introduction Video
Professor Kingston is the Richard S. Volpert ’56 Professor of Economics at Amherst College and a leading scholar in the fields of institutional economics and economic history. He earned a BA in Mathematics from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD in Economics from Stanford University. His research interests include institutional change, governance, corruption, and the history of risk and insurance. He is known for integrating rigorous economic analysis with in-depth historical research. His scholarly work has appeared in leading international journals such as The Journal of Economic History, Journal of Institutional Economics, and Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, and he has contributed to and reviewed multiple academic volumes.
In his teaching, Professor Kingston has served on the Amherst faculty for over two decades, offering core courses in microeconomics, game theory, economic development, and institutions and governance. He is deeply committed to cultivating students’ analytical abilities, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary perspectives. He has received multiple awards for teaching and research excellence and was named one of the Princeton Review’s “Top 300 Professors” nationwide. In academic service, he has served as Chair of the Department of Economics and has contributed to admissions, curricular reform, and several college-wide committees. He remains active in international scholarly exchange and conference organization. Known for his rigor and humanistic approach to scholarship, Professor Kingston is highly respected by students and colleagues.
Courses
Positive Psychology: Understanding the Mind-Body Connection
Catherine Sanderson
For many years, the field of psychology focused on understanding and resolving people’s problems. Groundbreaking scientific research in the relatively new field of positive psychology now examines how people can live happier and healthier lives. This course begins by exploring the concept of mindset, which refers to how we think about ourselves and the world. In Week One, we will examine how our mindset influences health and the factors that shape it. In Week Two, we will examine strategies to shift our mindset and experience between psychological and physical well-being. Students will read a book (The Positive Shift: Mastering Mindset to Improve Happiness, Health, and Longevity) and scientific articles. They will also conduct their own research project.
An Introduction to Game Theory
Christopher Kingston
Game theory is a set of modeling tools used to analyze strategic situations – that is, situations in which multiple players attempt to pursue their individual goals while taking account of their interdependence. Game theory has been widely used to study conflict, cooperation, and social dilemmas in economics, political science, biology, law, and elsewhere. Applications include strategic interactions between firms in imperfectly competitive markets; auctions; bargaining situations; arms races; political parties or candidates competing for votes; warfare; and chess. This course will introduce the tools and insights of game theory, assuming no prior knowledge. Emphasis will be on learning to apply the tools rather than on formal theory.
Topics include static games and Nash equilibrium in pure and mixed strategies; dynamic games, backward induction, and subgame-perfect equilibrium; repeated games; and an introduction to social choice theory.
Sample Daily Schedule
08:30–09:00
Morning Check-In
09:00–11:00
Morning Seminar
Introduction to Game Theory
Instructor: Prof. Christopher Kingston
11:15–12:15
Faculty Office Hours
One-on-one or small-group consultations with professors
12:15–13:30
Lunch Break
13:30–15:30
Afternoon Seminar
Positive Psychology: Understanding the Mind-Body Connection
Instructor: Prof. Catherine Sanderson
15:45–16:45(optional)
Faculty Office Hours
Individual academic advising and project consultations
19:30–21:00(optional)
Evening Seminars and Workshops (Rotating)
How to Make Good Use of College Life in the United States?
Post-Graduation Career Planning
How to Get into Highly Selective Colleges in the United States?
Application Requirements
School Report ( the latest scchool report)
English Standerized Report（TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo ect.）
Video Introduction
Applicants are required to record and upload an English self-introduction video of no more than one minute. The video must be recorded in a single take and may not be edited or spliced. The video may be recorded using a mobile phone or computer webcam.
Application Essay Prompt
Please explain why you are applying to the Liberal Arts Collegium and what kind of academic experience you hope to gain from the program. (250 words maximum）
Enrollment Capacity
30
Eligibility
Open to students in Grades 8-11 worldwide
The Program Is For Students Who
Are enthusiastic about small, discussion-based seminars
Aim to apply to leading U.S. colleges
Seek early immersion in collegiate classroom culture
Are eager to pursue one-on-one, faculty-guided research
Wish to connect with like-minded academic peers
Are drawn to the interdisciplinary spirit of a liberal arts education
