International universities to woo Chinese students

University officials from across the world are to tour five cities in China, including Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai, from March 23-31.

Their tour aims to attract more Chinese students to their institutions, the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange said on Tuesday.

More than 200 universities, colleges and educational institutions from 26 countries and regions will attend the annual China International Education Exhibition Tour, one of the largest events of its kind in China, Cheng Jiacai, director of the center under the Ministry of Education, said at a news conference.

"Representatives in nine countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative have also signed up for the tour, in order to further promote educational exchange and resource sharing between China and economies involved with the initiative," Cheng said.

Student admission officers and visa experts will provide parents and students with professional guidance on school choice, mental preparedness, and tips on studying abroad during the tour, he said.

Cheng said that as the number of Chinese international students increased over the years, they have become an important conduit for China's cultural exchanges with other countries.

Since the first tour was held in 1999, the annual event has attracted more than 2,400 universities and institutions from 56 countries and regions, as well as around 1.45 million parents and students in China, according to Cheng.

Kim Ursu, first secretary of the Canadian Embassy in China, said about 140,000 students from China studied in Canada in 2018, accounting for one-third of all international students in the country.

"Compared with other English-speaking countries, the price of education in Canada is cheaper," Ursu said. "The country also offers the most flexible policies for overseas students to work in Canada during their study and after graduation," she added.

Rhett Miller, Australian trade commissioner (education) for North Asia, said China remains the largest source of international students in Australia, with numbers up 3.6 percent year-on-year and Australia's international students also hitting a new high of 876,399 in 2018.

With its location as a gateway to the Asian region, a prosperous and innovative economy, and safe and open society, Australia is a special destination for international students, he said.