Overseas study enrich experiences, may challenge family relationships

For many middle-aged people, the decision to take sabbatical leave for further education overseas cannot be made without considering the maintenance of family relationships.

"Family is a challenging enterprise in today's hectic urban life," said Li Yanqiu, 42, who studied for her master's in ethnographic and documentary film at University College London in the United Kingdom.

Challenges that come with international separation - such as time differences, alternative life and work routines and anxiety derived from being absent from each other's life - make it even harder, despite the myriad ways technology can aid communication and the growing convenience of international travel to China.