About the Chinese Language Flagship

Directors’ Welcome Message

Welcome to the University of Mississippi’s Chinese Flagship Program! It is our privilege to lead a program that is committed to developing the next generation of global professionals who are not only proficient in Mandarin Chinese but are also equipped with the intercultural understanding and resilience to excel in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

As a flagship program, our mission is ambitious but achievable: we aim to cultivate graduates who reach superior-level language proficiency and who can seamlessly operate in professional Chinese-speaking environments. Our program is uniquely designed to provide comprehensive and immersive learning experiences that push our students beyond traditional language study, preparing them for meaningful engagement in fields as diverse as business, government, science, and technology.

The flagship program truly feels like a family. Our faculty and staff are deeply committed to supporting each student's journey. Studying in the Chinese Flagship Program means building close mentoring relationships with our dedicated instructors, who share their expertise and passion for the Chinese language and culture. The committed staff of the Flagship program fosters an encouraging and supportive environment, creating a community where students feel connected and empowered. Our program enjoys strong collaborative relationships on campus with many academic units, including international studies and other liberal arts disciplines, engineering, accounting and education. We also work closely with the National Language Flagship network to ensure that our students have access to resources and opportunities that match their aspirations.  

We invite you to learn more about the UM Chinese Flagship Program.

Warm regards,

Drs. Zhini Zeng and Don Dyer
Co-Directors of UM Chinese Flagship program
chinese@olemiss.edu
(662) 915-7298

Institute of International Education

The Language Flagship is a federal source of funding for the UM Chinese Language Flagship. Flagship has changed the way Americans learn critical languages and funds programs in numerous strategic languages throughout the country. UM is proud to be among the few Chinese Flagship programs in the United States.

Adapted from the Language Flagship program website.

The Language Flagship program is designed for undergraduate students pursuing any major to graduate with professional-level proficiency in a Flagship language. Students gain a unique college experience that is focused on global engagement, professional skills and language proficiency, community, and service. 

The Language Flagship is a federally funded initiative that offers 19 language programs at higher education institutions across the United States to help undergraduate students take their place as the next generation of global professionals with professional-level proficiency in critical languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, and Russian. At the end of the program, the Language Flagship sponsors a year-long Overseas Capstone program for students to use their language skills in a wide variety of formal and informal settings. 

Language Flagship experience includes:

• Enroll in a U.S. college or university with a Language Flagship program
• Pursue any major
• Gain professional-level proficiency in a critical language (Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian) 
• Instant community on-campus
• Cultural immersion activities 
• Individualized language tutoring/language partners
• Summer immersion opportunities
• Capstone year overseas (homestay or local roommate experience, direct enrollment in courses, cultural immersion, and complete professional internship) 
• Become a global professional
• Alumni networking opportunities

Disclaimer: The Language Flagship is a public/private partnership sponsored by the National Security Education Program (NSEP) of the Department of Defense and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The contents of this website do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Government or IIE and no official Government or IIE endorsement should be inferred.