Chinese foreign exchange students - largely dependent on global educational trends, economic factors and geopolitical dynamics - have also fluctuated by the tens of thousands in recent decades. China is a key player in the international education "ecosystem", its scale as a source of internationally-mobile students globally is unmatched.
Current Trends and Numbers
According to the latest figure, just over 370,000 students from China are studying at universities outside of China. Most study abroad programs take place in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. This is primarily because of the excellent education systems, research possibilities as well as job prospects that each of these countries have to provide for a Chinese student.
America: A Top Place To Live
This is 33% of all international students in the United States. Though that total has fallen a bit over the past year as U.S. visa policies have tightened and the coronavirus pandemic continues to limit international travel, it's still an impressive figure: more than 320 thousand Chinese nationals studying at American institutions last academic year.
Impact of Global Events
Chinese foreign exchange students appear to have higher mobility, although global events like the COVID-19 pandemic may have temporarily limited this. According to its website, the Church of England has 7,885 schools in England, which educate about 1 million students who cannot attend school right now. But, with the easing situation, this number is expected to bounce back and go beyond 7 lakhs as soon as international borders are opened and educational institutions resume to their normalcy.
Diversity of Disciplines
China has such a large student community that students are going there to study all disciplines. The most common major students select are in engineering, business and computer science, which might be due to internal pressures from the Chinese government. Nonetheless, there is also an increase in the number of Chinese students going abroad to study social sciences, humanities and arts which points towards a diversified educational trend.
Long-Term Growth and Impacts
This comes all part of a trend in which the number of Chinese foreign exchange students has increased year on year for over a decade with annual growth rates exceeding 5%. This is a further indication of China's rise in the world of education and reflects the growing priority Chinese nationals are placing on getting an international experience (both parents and students).
Why the High Numbers?
There are many reasons behind why so many Chinese students leave their country to study overseas. In addition to that, people associate the reputation of credentials from abroad with other targets, talking about a competitive advantage in the labour market or making personal experiences through living in a foreign country. And even top Chinese universities are overcrowded and can not accept all talented students, so they go to foreign programs.
Overall, the impact of Chinese international foreign exchange students is immense which are changing education patterns worldwide. Institutions worldwide are making adjustments to cater for these students not just through an academic lens but also by offering cultural and social integration programs which are so important in the creation of a more inclusive and supportive environment for our education.