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Foreign Students on the Rise
China received a total of 44,711 foreign students from 164 countries last year, some 1,700 more than 1998, the latest statistics from the Ministry of Education revealed.
Most of these students are from Asia, followed by Europe, America, Africa and Oceania.
Japan is the biggest source of foreign students, followed by the Republic of Korea, the United States, Indonesia and Germany, said sources from the ministry's Department of International Co-operation and Exchange.
Last year, masters' and doctoral degrees began replacing lower degrees as the targets of foreign students.
Some 896 students studied for doctoral degrees last year, up 27 per cent from the previous year. Master's degree students numbered 2,000, up 14 per cent from 1998, according to the department's statistics.
Foreign students studied subjects ranging from the arts, sciences, medicine, agronomy and sports, compared with traditional choices such as language and culture, said department official Hu Zhiping.
Hu attributed the rising number of foreign students and their diversified subjects to China's rapid economic and social development over the past 20 years.
More than 80,000 students enjoyed Chinese Government scholarships, while the other 270,000 studied at their own expense, the ministry's statistics showed.
Last year, 5,211 students from 152 countries received Chinese Government scholarships, sources from the Chinese Scholarship Council said.
Also last year, another 140 students from 43 countries received various special scholarships designated for excellent students, foreign Chinese-language teachers, Chinese proficiency tests winners and scholarships for Chinese culture research, according to the council, which is responsible for sending Chinese students abroad and receiving foreign students to China.
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