The 2023 Global Study Abroad Trends Report presents a remarkable shift. The data shows that there are 2236% of international students changed their original study destination. Among them, Australia has become the fastest-growing popular study destination, the country has experienced a decline in the number of international students for the past 21 years, but today it is growing at 30In contrast to the 8% growth rate, the United States has faced a decline in the number of international students for the second year in a row.
This change of hot and cold reflects that international students are more rational when choosing destinations, and no longer simply chase school rankings and popularity.
According to the report, there are a variety of reasons why international students change their intention to study abroad, including:
Better employment opportunities (36.)1%）
Rejection of exorbitant tuition fees (14.)5%）
Better Immigration Chances (13.)4%）
Visa approval efficiency (10.)6%）
Post-Graduation Work Visa Work Permit (9.)5%）
Lower cost of living (936%）
Keeping friends in company (6.)5%）
These data reveal the most important considerations for international students when choosing a study destination, especially employment opportunities and costs.
Globally, countries such as Australia are actively introducing various favorable policies, including scholarships, internships and work visas, to attract more international students.
This article will introduce you to the latest policies and relevant information for international students, especially those in Chinese mainland, in four popular study abroad regions such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe and Australia.
Hong Kong released its 2023 Policy Address on October 25, which mainly focuses on the policy direction of "attracting and retaining talents". These policies cover a wide range of areas, including study abroad funding, internship opportunities and job opportunities, and further expand the scope of favorable policies.
First of all, in terms of scholarships, Hong Kong** has been extremely generous, allocating an additional $1 billion to support international students. In addition, the number of doctoral fellowships has been gradually increased, from 300 to 400 per year. The number of subsidized places for international students at the eight universities has also been increased from 20% to 40%, meaning that 6,000 people can receive subsidized places every year.
Secondly, in terms of internships, the previous process of finding internship opportunities in Hong Kong for Hong Kong master's students in Hong Kong was relatively lengthy and cumbersome, but in the 2023 policy address, a two-year trial plan was proposed to exempt Hong Kong master's students from internship restrictions. In addition, the IANG visa (Non-local Graduate Employment Scheme) can be directly renewed after graduation, which is one of the most lenient conditions among Hong Kong visas.
In order to attract talents from outside Hong Kong, Hong Kong not only recruits talents from all over the world, but also plans to expand the list of high-talent universities to include eight new top mainland and overseas universities, bringing the total number to 184. The QMAS policy has also been enhanced and adjusted, including simplifying the application process, shortening the processing time, abolishing the annual quota allocation, and extending the validity period of the initial visa to 3 years, which is very beneficial for those who want to obtain Hong Kong permanent resident status.
Overall, Hong Kong's new policy address focuses on attracting and retaining international talents, and is expected to attract more talents to develop in Hong Kong by increasing the number of subsidised places, relaxing internship restrictions and optimising talent policies, providing more opportunities and facilitation for international students and foreign talents.
As a high-profile study destination, Singapore's popularity and attractiveness in the Asian region continues to grow apart from Hong Kong. Recently, there has been a steady stream of inquiries and applications for study abroad programs in Singapore, and there has been a significant increase in the number of applications compared to previous years.
This is no coincidence, as the quality and level of education in Singapore is among the best in the Asian region. The National University of Singapore has been ranked No. 1 in Asia for six consecutive years and No. 8 in the 2024 QS rankingsNanyang Technological University (NTU) is ranked 4th in Asia and is highly recognized for the quality of its education.
In particular, Singapore attaches great importance to art education, and has cultivated first-class art institutions such as Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and LASALLE College of Art.
The recently launched second five-year arts development plan (our arts plan 2023-2027) provides a richer range of opportunities for students who wish to study in Singapore. This program aims to promote high-quality arts education, shape unique cities through art, and provide better employment prospects for artists. Its goal is to make art accessible to more people and integrate art into their lives, while ensuring that those who are engaged in art creation can have better development opportunities and income.
In the field of studying abroad, the University of the Arts Singapore (University of the Arts Singapore) is a national-level art university that has attracted much attention. The university is a consortium of LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, both of which maintain their own characteristics and traditions and will offer a diverse curriculum to students.
Singapore's work visa system has also been updated with a new Employment Pass (EP) points-based system implemented from 1 September. Applicants are not only required to meet the minimum wage, but also to obtain a score of 40 through the Complementary Professionals Assessment Framework (COMPASS) in order to apply for EP.
The updated criteria are more targeted and objective, helping applicants to better plan and evaluate their applications. In addition, the Ministry of Manpower has launched a "self-assessment tool" for applicants to estimate the score of their EP applications.
In addition, applicants will not be required to be assessed under the Compass Points Test under certain criteria, such as holding a short-term position, reaching a certain monthly salary, or holding a managerial position in a company outside Singapore. Applicants who graduated from a top 100 university or a highly recognized professional institution in a specific field of study will also receive additional points.
Overall, Singapore presents impressive strengths in both education and the arts as a study abroad destination, and continues to innovate in attracting international students and professionals.
Europe has a long history of free or low tuition higher education, and the number of English-taught programs is increasing. Students with excellent grades also have the opportunity to apply for school scholarships, which not only can easily waive tuition fees but also receive a living allowance. In addition, there are many successful precedents when it comes to applying for CSC national assignments, such as Delft and Politecnico di Milano in the Netherlands, which make it more possible to study for a master's degree in Europe for free.
In the past, it was difficult to stay and work in Europe from the beginning of the visa. But this year, European countries are vigorously relaxing the work permit policy. The process has become more streamlined, the list of accredited schools has increased, the number of years of work permits has been extended, and even more privileges have been provided for international students. For example, Denmark automatically provides a three-year job search period for international students with a bachelor's degree or higher, and the right to work in Denmark for three years after graduation.
In addition, for Europe, which advocates slow life, the shortening of the approval cycle is undoubtedly great news!In June last year, Sweden** announced that international students from all over the world could obtain work permits remotely, giving them nine months to look for work. However, some applicants say that even with that long time, finding a job can still be stressful.
Recently, Sweden announced new rules: from November 2023, work permit applications for non-EU residents will be approved within 30 days. In addition, Sweden will set up an international recruitment unit to provide a channel for the approval of work permit applications for highly qualified talents from outside Europe. These policy changes have brought more opportunities and convenience to people who wish to work in Europe.
While Australia has been attracting more international students in recent years, surpassing the United States to become the world's second largest study destination, the quality of its education is also quietly improving. In the latest QS World University Rankings 2024, Australian universities performed impressively, with 95% of institutions ranked among the top in the world, with three in the top 20, six in the top 50 and nine in the top 100!
However, Australia did not stop there, and in order to attract more talent, they set out to reform the cost of study abroad and scholarship policies. From university application fee waivers to scholarships for Chinese students, Australia has demonstrated its thirst for the best students. At the same time, the extension of the temporary work visa subclass 485 for international students provides more employment opportunities for graduates.
First of all, in terms of application fee waiver policies, the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales Sydney, the University of Queensland, Monash University, the University of Western Australia and the University of Adelaide have launched their own waiver policies to reduce the burden of admission for applicants.
The specific policies are as follows:
Australian National University: Application fee waiver ($110) for July 2023 entry
University of Sydney: From October 1, 2022, there will be a monthly fixed IP, which needs to be applied in advance, and the application fee (150 Australian dollars) will be waived after review
University of New South Wales Sydney: Early review, you need to attend an interview, and the application fee ($125) can be waived after meeting the requirements
University of Queensland: There are a number of places available each month, and the application fee ($100) will be waived if you meet the requirements
Monash University: There is a limited number of places per month to reduce the application fee ($100).
University of Western Australia: We can help you submit your application for a waiver of the application fee ($100).
University of Adelaide: Interested in a certain amount, first come, first served ($110).
In addition, in terms of scholarship policies, the University of Queensland, the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Adelaide have set up scholarship programs for Chinese students to reduce tuition fees or provide academic excellence awards to attract more outstanding students.
The University of Queensland: Launched a scholarship for Chinese students, the amount is 10,000 Australian dollars, the scholarship will directly reduce the tuition fee, and it is expected to open applications in November this year until January 2024.
University of Technology Sydney: Scholarships for Chinese students applying for admission to undergraduate and taught master's programmes. Students who apply to the school will be automatically assessed for eligibility and will receive a 20% tuition waiver for the standard number of semesters at the undergraduate or master's level.
University of Adelaide: A variety of scholarship programs have been introduced, including the Global Academic Excellence 50% Scholarship, the Global Citizen Scholarship, and the College International Scholarship, each offering varying levels of tuition fee waivers.
At the same time, for the employment opportunities of international students after graduation, Australia has launched an updated temporary graduate work visa policy, extending the visa duration to 4, 5 and 6 years to provide more career development space for graduates.