On December 26, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post published an article titled "Why More Chinese Students Are Turning to Europe – Not the US or Britain – for Higher Education" by Danny Peng. The full text is compiled below
Bian, a Chinese university student, is trying to learn German so that she can study in Germany after graduating next year. She plans to take language classes before pursuing a graduate degree.
As a student majoring in communication studies at a top university in China, she considered several options for further study, but decided to rule out the United States and the United Kingdom. Despite having the best communication programs, tuition and the cost of living in both countries were beyond her affordability.
In contrast, Germany has a variety of attractions, including some degree programs with low or no tuition fees, a stable social environment, and interesting Western culture.
Over the past three years, the number of Chinese students studying in the United States has declined, and more and more of China's best students are no longer there. Europe is becoming a popular destination for the large number of Chinese students who are going to study abroad.
In the Netherlands, from 2021 to 2022, China has become the only non-EEA country among its top 10 international students**, ranking fourth. Official data shows that in 2022-2023, the number of students from China reached 5,610, an increase of 53%。
In Germany, data provided by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) over the past decade shows that students from China have been an important part of the country's international student population. There are far more Chinese students than other countries, and about half of them choose to study engineering-related courses in Germany. While the number of Indian students in the winter semester 2022 surpassed that of China for the first time in more than 20 years, the gap was negligible.
On the other hand, in France – despite a 2% decrease in the number of international students enrolled in the 2021-2022 academic year – China still ranks third among its leading international students**.
Eva, who runs the study abroad program in Europe at a well-known Chinese study abroad agency, said that many European countries have their own specific strengths in terms of disciplines and other unique characteristics compared to countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. For example, Germany is known for its mechanical and electronic engineering programs, while France leads the world in mathematics and art education, and Hungary is very famous for its comprehensive medical programs.
She said that among the courses taught in English in the European region, the Irish ones are the most popular because of the very high employment rate of international and national graduates. This is an important advantage for Chinese students who face stiff competition in the domestic job market.
Ireland is an international hub for the biomanufacturing industry, with more than 85 multinational biopharmaceutical companies and more than 300 homegrown medical technology companies, offering many employment opportunities, thanks to low taxes, geographical advantages and a young pool of highly skilled talent and a robust industrial chain.
But another factor pushing them to absorb Chinese students is likely to be tensions between Beijing and Washington.
According to the Blue Book of the 2022 China Study Abroad Development Report (2022), jointly prepared by the Center for Globalization and the Bank of China last year, visa policies and a friendly environment are expected to become increasingly important factors for Chinese students when they decide to study abroad. "There is a possibility that the demand for studying abroad will shift to Europe and Asia," the report said. France and Germany are gradually introducing policies that are favorable to Chinese international students, showing great potential for overseas study and exchange. ”
On top of that, as the economy slows, more Chinese families are considering less expensive options when it comes to their children's education and family immigration.
Eva said that European countries stand out in this regard compared to countries such as the United States and Canada. (Compiled by Yang Xinpeng).