In 2010, US economy eared about $21.2 billion from international students and the figure is about $10.2 billion more than 10 years ago. Among all the foreign students, those coming from China form a major chunk of the students.
This is an interesting fact that where Chinese students studying in US colleges outnumber other foreign students, American students also prefer China for higher studies more than any other Asian country. Nonetheless, the Chinese students going to America is ten times the number of Americans coming to study in China. J. Adam Ereli, principal deputy assistant secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, feels that the reason for this lies in the fact that American campuses are very supportive, in terms of facilities and scholarships.
Reports released by the Institute of International Education and the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs reveal that the number of Chinese students studying in US is the highest and about 22 percent of the total international student population. Next in row, come countries like India, South Korea and Canada.
There has been an increase of 23 percent in the number of students which China sent to US compared to the previous year. Again, there has also been an increase in the number of American students coming to China. Where there were nearly 14,000 American students in China in 2009-2010, there were only 3,000 or less in 1999-2000.
More than 40 percent of international students are studying business management or engineering in 2010-2011, which are the two most popular fields for Chinese students.
“The continuous and increasing interest for students from the US and China to study in the two countries reflected an equal effort made by both governments to host students from each other’s countries,” said Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor at the Institute of International Education, a non-profit organization.
“The trend of China hosting more and more American students is a reflection of China’s rising power and its increasing economic impact,” said Rajika Bhandari, vice-president of research and education at the Institute of International Education.
“Our earlier survey of employers showed that students with international study experience, especially in China, are more likely to get the job as there has been more and more economic cooperation with Asian countries, especially China, in recent years,” Bhandari said.
Ye Feng is a doctoral candidate at Shanghai International Studies University and has a scholarship through the Fullbright Program for Foreign Students, which is backed by the US government and invites top students and scholars to study in the US. He is participating in a one-year exchange program at the University of Delaware.
“What impressed me the most about American education is that the professors are emphasizing your ability of independent thinking and creativity; teaching skills are more instructive,” Ye said.
Article Source: China Daily