During the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Professor Jia Qingguo from Peking University introduced two proposals that garnered attention. One proposal aimed at making China more appealing to foreign students, while the other focused on effectively conveying the Chinese story to the world, with more spotlight on the former.
Although the suggestion to attract more foreign students to China aligns with President Xi Jinping’s policies, Jia noted that the efforts under the “Study in China” campaign have not yielded significant results. The number of international students, especially from the United States, has decreased significantly in recent years. Jia identified perception issues, economic factors, and academic research as possible reasons for this decline.
Jia put forward nine suggestions to address these challenges, including better communication of China’s policies, separate handling of academic papers by foreign students, and clarifying the application of relevant laws. Despite uncertainty about the impact of these proposals, they aim to tackle key concerns regarding foreign students studying in China.
As the Chinese government considers how to respond to these issues, the flow of students and scholars between China and other countries continues to evolve. Professor KAWASHIMA Shin from the University of Tokyo reflects on the implications of these developments in the international education landscape.