Plans to hike education standing

China aims to significantly enhance its international influence, competitiveness and voice in education during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), according to an education development plan recently issued by the State Council, the country's Cabinet.

The plan outlines how China will make better use of world-class educational resources and innovation factors to achieve these goals. International exchanges in basic research will be deepened, and leading research universities will be encouraged to launch or participate in major global scientific initiatives.

Services for Chinese students studying abroad will be improved, while efforts to encourage overseas graduates to return to China and contribute to national development.

High-level foreign science and engineering universities will also be welcomed to establish cooperative programs in China.

Developing globally recognized Chinese education brands is another priority.

The plan calls for stronger ties with partners in Europe and North America while expanding cooperation with neighboring nations, countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and Global South countries.

China will share its standards and practical solutions in areas including vocational education, basic education, engineering, artificial intelligence education and teacher training.

The international Chinese language brand will be further promoted, while the "Study in China" brand and the country's capacity for overseas schooling will also be strengthened. People-to-people and cultural exchanges will be actively encouraged, according to the plan.

On global education governance, China will make use of multilateral platforms such as UNESCO, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to deepen cooperation and strengthen its leadership role in areas including girls' and women's education, digital and intelligent education and STEM subjects.

Data released by the Ministry of Education in April shows that in 2025 more than 570,000 Chinese students pursued higher education overseas and about 535,600 returned to China after completing their studies. China, meanwhile, hosted 380,000 international students from 191 countries and regions during the 2024-25 academic year.

Wu Peng, dean of the Overseas Education College at Jiangsu University, said that "significantly enhanced" global influence in education during the 15th Five-Year Plan period should be measured by substance rather than sheer numbers.

Regarding international students, Wu said the growth of degree-seeking and postgraduate enrollment is more important than total enrollment figures.

He also called for a comprehensive service system covering pre-enrollment support, campus life and post-graduation employment.

"We cannot simply admit students and leave them to fend for themselves. A closed-loop, service-oriented management system is essential," he said.

Wu added that China's strengths in vocational education, AI and STEM teaching should be integrated into the education systems of countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Nauvao Purl, a United States citizen studying at the University of International Business and Economics, encouraged more US students to come to China for face-to-face exchanges. She reflected on Yung Wing, the first Chinese student to graduate from a US university more than 170 years ago.

"What I learned from Yung Wing is that discomfort and uncertainty — the often awkward spaces — are exactly where the most important work happens," she said.

Purl said she arrived in China with preconceptions shaped by movies, food and social media, only to find a far more complex reality.

"The real China — strangers asking where I'm from, professors staying after class because of their passion and classmates studying incredibly hard — can only be experienced, never fully understood through books," she said.

She urged her peers to "show up" in person, tell stories instead of arguing, embrace the role of cultural bridge-builders and remain patient when engaged in people-to-people diplomacy.

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn