According to the "Blue Book of Global Talent: Annual Report on the Development of China's Study Abroad" (2012) recently released by Social Sciences Academic Press, China leads the world in terms of students sent overseas, accounting for 14 percent of students studying abroad worldwide, with increasing numbers and lower average age of students.
The report shows that the population of Chinese overseas students has continued to grow, with an annual increase of 20 percent since 2008. In 2011, the number of students studying abroad reached 339,700, the highest number to date.
The report also notes that an increasing number of Chinese students, now composing 90 percent of China's overseas students, go abroad for further study at their own expense, in spite of the growing tuition at European and US universities. For example, tuition for graduate students in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science has risen from 11,958 pounds ($19,287) in the 2005-2006 school year to 16,512 pounds in the 2012-2013 school year.
In addition, students are venturing abroad at younger ages. A growing number of high school graduates choose to go abroad to attain their bachelor's degrees, and more students are going overseas for their high school diplomas.
Though there are many success stories among those who study abroad, caution is advised for those considering such a move. Some students fail to finish their studies at foreign universities, and some face difficulties in landing a desirable job after graduation.
On April 6, the UK canceled its policy allowing foreign students who received their undergraduate or graduate degrees from a UK university to work for two years in the country. Moreover, some students who have returned to China with high expectations have found it difficult to fit in with the domestic employment market.
In light of the increasing number of overseas students and the problems they face, Gu Xiaoming, a professor at Fudan University in Shanghai, suggested that returning students should adjust their expectations when searching for jobs in China, according to the Xinhua News Agency. He also said that parents should take their children's personalities and preferences into consideration before sending them abroad.
Wen Jun, a professor with East China Normal University in Shanghai, advised that students be on high alert for illegal intermediary agencies for overseas programs. He suggested that parents and students refer to the official list of overseas schools and guidelines provided at www.jsj.edu, the information website for overseas student education affiliated with the Ministry of Education, Xinhua reported.