Overall Situation of Studying in China for International Students
As a leader in terms of economic growth, China has become an intriguing place to pursue a degree abroad for students coming from Europe, USA and other parts of Asia. Students will experience a rigorous but comprehensive education and they are guaranteed to improve career prospects. Apart from being exposed to excellent teaching, you will immerse in the Chinese culture which will certainly deepen your intellectual horizon.
As an important component of international exchanges and cooperation, international students education has been given great importance by the Chinese government. Due to half-century’s painstaking efforts, an international students administration system, with distinct Chinese characteristics, has been constructed. This system has helped to produce a number of talents in the fields of science, technology, education, diplomacy, management, etc. for many countries, especially developing countries, and played an active role in enhancing the political, diplomatic and economic ties between China and those countries as well as promoting the exchange of culture, education and personnel.
In 1950, China received the first group of 33 students from the East European countries. By the end of 2000, the total number of international students in China has increased to 407,000. They are from more than 160 different countries. Among them, Chinese Government Scholarship students numbered 88,000, whereas self-financed students reached 317,000. Since 1997, the Chinese Scholarships Council (CSC) has been entrusted by the Ministry of Education with the enrollment and administration of daily operations concerning international students in China sponsored by Chinese Government Scholarships.
Since 1978 when China initiated her reform and opening-up policy, international students education has entered into a new stage. From 1979 to 1999, the total number of international students studying in China reached 342,000 person-times. China has been successful in maintaining social and political stability and the rapid growth of the economy, and this in return gives rise to the international students. In 1996, the total of international students reached 41,000, an increase of 30 % over 1992. Furthermore, the enrollment of self-financed students made such a big stride that it has surpassed that of scholarship students, and became the mainstream of the international students.
The outbreak of SARS in 2003 had brought great difficulties. In order to implement the 2003-2007 Action Plan for Rejuvenating Education, the Ministry of Education had worked creatively on the policy of “expand the size, raise the level, guarantee the quality and regulate the management”. The difficulties that SARS had caused were surmounted and the number of the students was basically stabilized. Totally 77,715 students of different types from 175 countries were accepted by 353 Chinese higher education institutions.
International students from Asia still top the list of all, totaled 63,672, accounting for 81.93%. While 6,462 students are from Europe, accounting for 8.31%; 4,703 from America, accounting for 6.05%; 1,793 from Africa, accounting for 2.31%, and 1085 from Oceania, accounting for 1.04%.
South Korea, Japan, the United States, Vietnam, and Indonesia are the top five countries that have the largest numbers of international students in China, numbered 35,353, 12,765, 3,693, 3,478, and 2,563 respectively. Other countries, which have over 1,000 students in China, are Thailand (1,554), Germany (1,280), Russia (1,224), Nepal (1,199) and Mongolia (1,060).
According to the agreements or programs signed by the Chinese government and the governments of other countries as well as international organizations, China’s Ministry of Education offered to 163 countries Chinese Government Scholarships in 2003.With the 1,879 new numbers, actually 6,153 foreign students were admitted, making up 7% of total number, of which Asia students amounted to 3,076,covered 50% of the total, European students 1,442, 23%, Africa 1,244, 20%, America 305, 5%, Oceania 86, 1.4%.With the principle of raising the level of scholarship students, Ph.D students increased to 609,Master Degree students added up to 1,350,and undergraduate students 1,754 .In addition, 123 students were benefited from the other scholarship provided by Chinese Government, including the Great Wall Scholarship, the Excellent Student Scholarship, the HSK Winner Scholarship, the short-term program for foreign teachers of Chinese and the Chinese culture research program. As for the self-financed students, the enrolment has expanded to 71,562, among them, short-term students (who studied for less than 6 months) numbered 13,202, whereas long-term students who studied in China for over 6 months (including 6 months) numbered 58,360.
In accordance with the relevant regulations on the management of Chinese Government Scholarship formulated by the Ministry of Education, to reinforce the management of Chinese Government Scholarship and to bring its benefits and effects into full play, the Ministry of Education of China entrusts China Scholarship Council (CSC) to take charge of the organization and implementation of Annual Review of the Chinese Government Scholarship students.And the institutions are entitled to give Annual Review to their own scholarship students.
To convenience international students, along with some consulting booklets, the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), directly under the Ministry of Education, also provide on-line enrollment and information consulting.
On February 16, 1998, the Conference on Study by Foreign Students in China was convened, which, coming up with the policy of “deepening reform, improving management and guaranteeing educational quality to achieve vigorous and steady development”, the former State Education Commission, analyzed the new circumstances faced by the international students education and consequently laid down tasks to be fulfilled in recent years. This is a milestone in Chinese international students education.
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Foreign students allowed to work in China?
As of July 2013, international students are allowed to take part-time jobs during their studies, or to engage in paid internships on campus, under the following condition: they must obtain permission both from their host university and the Chinese immigration authorities as well.
The university issues a consent letter and the hiring company will also give out a certification. The next step is for the police station to mark your visa “Part-time-work “. However, you cannot apply for a different job in a different company in case you changed your mind.
As a foreigner in China, English is a highly valued skill. English tutoring and teaching jobs are in high demand, so you should try for these kinds of opportunities.
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Bring your family with the student visa
If you want to bring your family to China, they should apply for the L-visa. Your spouse and/or children can apply for this visa along with your application for the student visa and provide a series of documents, such as marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc. If your family applies for the L-visa after your arrival to China, they must also provide the copy of your student X-visa as well as a residence permit.
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Overview of Study in China
The number of international students studying in China has been mounting by approximately 20% annually since the reform and opening period began. In 2010, the number of international students studying in China reached 260,000 for the first time. Moreover, they came from a more diversified range of countries and regions and studied in a more diversified number of hosting institutions, and more of them receive Chinese government scholarship than in any other year since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
According to statistics, in 2010 altogether 265,090 international students from 194 countries and regions were studying in 620 colleges and universities, research institutions and other educational institutions in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China (not including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao). Among them, 22,390 were granted Chinese government scholarship, up by 22.72% over the previous year.
Students from other Asian countries accounted for 67.84% of the total, ranking No. 1, followed by Europeans, Americans, Africans, and Oceanians. The top ten origin countries were the Republic of Korea, the United States, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, Indonesia, India, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. Other countries sending more than 5000 students included France and Mongolia. In terms of student types, 107,432 were studying for academic degrees, accounting for about 40% of the total and 157,658 were pursuing non-degree education, accounting for about 60%.
China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) will make further efforts to optimize the environment for international students, improve management and to upgrade education quality, by adhering to the National Outline for Medium and Long-Term Educational Reform and Development as well as the Study in China Plan, aiming at attracting 500,000 international students by 2020 so as to make China Asia’s biggest host country for international students.
China has over 1,000 higher educational institutions (HEIs) currently. Some universities, such as Beijing University and Tsinghua University, have already gained international reputations for their outstanding teaching and research facilities. China has signed agreements with almost 40 countries such as France, Great Britain, Australia, Russia, etc., to recognize each other’s diplomas. More and more Chinese universities now offer courses in English, enabling students with no knowledge of Chinese language to study there.
