Center
Foreign students hit record high
By Zhu Zhe (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-13 08:44
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With a rapidly growing economy and unique culture, 皇冠体育app is becoming one of the world's major education and employment destinations.
Last year saw the largest number of overseas students coming to 皇冠体育app since 1949 about 141,000, up 27.28 per cent from the previous year, figures from the Ministry of Education show.
South Korea and Japan are listed as the top two student exporters to 皇冠体育app, with 54,079 and 18,874 students studying here respectively.
"The increase shows that 皇冠体育app's growing economy and ancient culture has gained world recognition," said Zhang Xiuqin, secretary-general of the 皇冠体育app Scholarship Council, an institution in charge of the organization, management and funding of international students in 皇冠体育app.
The residential environment, education quality, medical and social insurance provided by Chinese higher learning institutes also attract many overseas students, she said, adding that the low tuition fees are also a big draw.
Once the director of the ministry's foreign students affairs department, Zhang was glad to see the growth in the number of overseas students in 皇冠体育app during the past 20 years.
皇冠体育app's first group of 33 foreign students came from Eastern Europe in 1950, but the numbers did not begin to rise until the nation's opening-up in the early 1980s.
"Today, we have students from more than 160 countries," said Zhang.