International Students in China Hit Record High

When it comes to numbers of international students, the United States and United Kingdom top the list, with Australia at a rapidly climbing third place. However, a fourth country is attracting more and more international students every year: China. If you are considering studying internationally, you might consider China for your list of potential host countries.

On Thursday, October 24, the Ministry of Education reported that in 2012, a total of 328,330 international students hailing from 200 countries and regions studied in China. This number is up 12.2% from 2011, according to the ministry. The ministry continues to work to attract more international students to China; the director of the ministry’s international division, Zhang Xiuqin, said that “We plan to attract 500,000 overseas students by 2020, which will make us the largest receiver of international students in Asia.”

One method of encouraging international students to study in Asia is by offering scholarships to students who otherwise may not be able to study internationally. Last year, the Chinese government provided scholarships to 28,700 international students, according to Zhang. These students studies in the country’s 690 universities and research institutions, as well as other educational organizations.

Zhang reports that the Chinese government plans to further improve the scholarship mechanism, and intends to encourage local governments, educational institutions, and social organizations to offer more funds for international students.

In addition, departments such as public security and finance should begin offering more help. Zhang added that China intends to tighten supervision of quality of education through improved laws and regulations.

The Chinese Ministry of Education hopes that these changes will succeed in attracting more international students to the country over the next few years. The presence of international students provides countries with a number of advantages, including benefits to the economy.

Posted in International Education, Study Abroad