According to statistics the current market for Chinese studying abroad has shown growing trends in three areas, more self-financed, more classified and more schools and majors available to choose from.
Self-financed students have become the majority.
As stated by Zhang Xiuqin, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges under the Ministry of Education, the number of Chinese students who went to study abroad in 2008 reached 179,800. Of these students, 161,600 were self-financed, accounting for 90 percent of the total. Self-financed students have become the majority of Chinese students studying abroad.
In 2007, Zhu Jiani, a 2008 master's degree graduate of the Graduate School of Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, made a survey via the Internet of Chinese students studying abroad. According to 454 questionnaires received, 62 percent of the students declared their family as the main source of funding for their tuition for studying abroad, ranking it still the top financial source. Zhang, mother of a self-financed student studying abroad, said in an interview that nowadays people can more easily afford to study abroad as their income has increased while expenses for studying abroad have not changed much.
Experts believe that the recent market for studying abroad has benefited from two policies. The first one was the four trillion yuan stimulus package adopted by the Chinese government to boost domestic demand. This has benefited many industries, and therefore directly or indirectly impacted the common family. The second policy related to the fact that in recent years, popular studying abroad destinations such as the UK, the US, Australia and Canada all adjusted their policies one after another, relaxing visa restrictions, adjusting the percentage of new students admitted and cutting down the threshold for enrollment, therefore increasing the number of foreign students from China and other countries.
Students studying abroad become more diversified
A consultant who works at an intermediary agency for studying abroad called Chivast Education International said that "the number of candidates applying as graduate students increased by 30 to 40 percent and as undergraduates increased by 50 percent in 2008."
Recently, Chinese students studying abroad have become increasingly diversified. Aside from undergraduates, other students such as graduate students, doctorate students, and advanced research scholars have gradually increased. Apart from students, young white-collar workers are also looking for the opportunity to study abroad.
According to overseas study experts, children are primarily sent to study abroad due to the high pressure and great competition of university entrance examinations in China and the fact that it would be relatively easier to study in a foreign university. Second, it could help the children adapt earlier to the international environment and lay the foundations for them to enter relatively good universities for postgraduate education. Third, the parents of many high school students were previously overseas students and advise their children to study abroad.
Experts believe that studying abroad is no longer an exclusive right for certain classes as the market for overseas studies at present has become a "supermarket for everyday people," resulting from the increasingly lower costs and higher value of studying abroad.
A larger selection of schools and majors to choose from
During the China International Education Exhibition Tour held recently, of the over 400 colleges and institutions that participated in the exhibition, 149 were new participants, including first time exhibitors from Australia, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. They offered Chinese students a series of education programs covering high school education, vocational education, continuing education, undergraduate education and postgraduate courses.
Colleges from countries and regions visiting China to recruit new students are also providing more choices in terms of what they can major in. After analysis, experts believe that in past years, most students going abroad to study chose business administration, finance, accounting or IT, which has almost saturated the market for these majors. In recent years, the majors which were relatively less popular in the past, such as engineering, logistics, environment, education, nursing, cosmetology and hairdressing and vehicle maintenance and repair, have become the choices of many students that study abroad.
Experts suggest that when choosing what to major in, one should first establish a goal, ascertaining what one wants to learn about and should not blindly follow the trend. The appropriately chosen major should be selected in accordance with the basis of learning, background, mode of thinking and individual character. One should anticipate the job prospects of the chosen major in order to avoid "learning something useless."
Source: English: People's Daily Online
Release date: 30 April 2009