Overseas study gold rush
By Wu Jian
Photos by Yao Fan



出国留学不断升温. 最近的出国留学有何新动向呢? 首届友好国际留学展8月6日上午在厦门宏都酒店举行, 参展的有来自欧美, 澳洲, 东南亚等国家的众多高校, 也有银行, 保险公司, 吸引了几百名学生和家长前来咨询.

As China becomes ever more integrated into the world economy, its young population is getting more and more eager to see what the world's education systems have to offer. The top destinations for Chinese overseas education could not be happier to learn that China is now spending an astronomical amount of money in this area, with the trend predicted to gain even more momentum as time goes by. Fujian, as one of the nation's economic powerhouses, plays a big part in helping the country foot its bill for overseas education. And overseas education-related services in the province have long been a profitable business. A large-scale overseas education exposition was held in Xiamen Hongdu Hotel on August 6. Let's find out what's new in today's overseas education market.

The expo, the only one-stop overseas education service in south Fujian, was sponsored by Xiamen Youhao International Consulting (厦门友好交流出国服务有限公司) and the International Office of Xiamen Foreign Services Center. Featuring a good number of exhibitors, including overseas education agents, representatives of overseas universities, banks, insurance companies and even language training schools, the expo was visited by a huge crowd of young people and their parents eager to learn everything about going to school abroad.



Younger people go abroad

Among the large crowd elbowing their way around at the expo, children looking too small to be going to high school made up a surprisingly large proportion. An advisor at the New Zealand desk told us that high schools in New Zealand are accepting more and more students from China, as they are other countries. When asked why, she said Chinese parents are eager to send their children abroad early in the hope that getting emerged in a foreign language and culture at an early age would help them gain good language skills and cultural awareness. They believe this will help them secure a better foothold after graduation in today's competitive society.

IELTS wins broader recognition

The expo included a series of lectures, of which one specifically covered IELTS, short for International English Language Testing System. It was given by Ms Zheng, an officer with the Culture and Education Department at the UK consulate in Guangzhou. During the introductory part of her lecture, Ms Zheng said that IELTS, which used to be only recognized by the Commonwealth of Nations, has now come to be recognized in other parts of the world, including the previously TOFEL and GRE dominated USA. This has certainly enhanced the popularity of IELTS among Chinese people.



Asian destinations lose shine

Perennial education destinations like the US, UK and Canada remain hot. However, Asian destinations, which were previously a common back-up choice for those who were scared away by high tuition fees or visa problems, have become less attractive. Mr Lin, representative of UCSI (University College Sedaya International), a Malaysian university, said the major reason behind the decline of Asian destinations such as Malaysia and Singapore is that fast economic development has made more Chinese people richer, meaning they can afford to look further afield. The removal of certain barriers that used to keep many Chinese people out of the US and Europe also has a role to play here.

Visas remain a problem

Visas have always been an important topic, as they constitute a major stumbling block. Have they become easier to get or even more difficult? Mr Zhou, a visa adviser with Youhao International, said that visa remains a problem for many people. To get a visa to the US or European destinations is still as difficult as before, with only 50% or 60% passing their visa interviews.



Banks provide backup

Also seen at the expo were banks and insurance companies. For those who are not financially well prepared for overseas education, bank loans are a necessary consideration. Zhang, a third year business major from Xiamen University who plans to go to the UK for further business studies, said he was considering a bank loan as his family does not have enough money to cover the high tuition and living costs in Britain. Insurance for overseas education is quite new. Ms Gao, at the desk of the Xinhua Life Insurance Company, said that as more accidents are being reported, buying insurance for their kids before sending them abroad has become a very serious issue for the worrying parents. Apart from the high-priced accident and medical insurance, travel insurance is also highly recommended by the insurance company.