The trend of studying abroad "revives" strongly in China

The trend of Chinese people sending their children to study abroad has shown signs of recovery even in the context of declining assets of many families. In addition, the study destinations have also changed.

Chinese students participate in a study tour in Australia. Photo: Weibo

July was the busiest month in recent years for Kent Cai, as the young Zhejiang native chose to travel to overseas cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Macau, Jakarta and Sydney, where Kent Cai organized a total of six overseas study tours for more than 150 Chinese university students.

After China lifted travel restrictions in early 2023, more families and students are willing to spend money on study trips abroad, a trend that was thriving before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Last year, many public schools and parents were still worried, so 2024 is actually the first time since the pandemic that many mainland students are willing to go abroad for study tours,” said Cai, founder of Ningbo New Way, which organizes customized exchange and study tours in Zhejiang Province.

According to a report released by Beijing-based consultancy Guanyan Tianxia last year, the market size of China's educational tourism industry will be 147.3 billion yuan ($20.3 billion) by 2023, compared with 152.3 billion yuan in 2019.

Also this month, a report by iiMedia Research predicted that the industry's market size would reach 179.1 billion yuan this year and surpass 300 billion yuan annually by 2028. The report also said that two-thirds of parents surveyed were willing to let their children join such tours.

According to the report, related posts on Chinese social media have attracted billions of views this year, clearly study tours are in great demand among mainlanders.

Data shows that by 2023, China will have about 189 million primary and secondary school students and 48 million college students. Many public middle schools in first- and second-tier cities have opened various study tour routes for students, from domestic destinations costing nearly 10,000 yuan to international destinations costing over 40,000 yuan.

Field trips give students the opportunity to experience the world, gain cultural insight, and experience independence without their loving parents.

Cai explained that despite the overall decline in Chinese family wealth and income, study abroad trips remain important to many middle-class and wealthy families in China.

However, changes in visa policies and global inflationary trends have made the United States less of an attractive destination than it once was. Instead, Chinese students are increasingly exploring options in Asia and other Western countries such as the UK and Australia.

“Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the current trend is that more students and parents are interested in Asia because they pay more attention to the region to plan their future studies and careers,” he said. Tours to Japan and Malaysia are increasingly popular, with prices ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 yuan, according to Cai.

“Students can interact with their peers at local universities and visit local companies,” he said . “Students are very interested in the overseas expansion of Chinese companies, and Asia is now a place where Chinese companies are focusing their investments. Study tours can help them apply to universities in Asia or compete for jobs at Asian companies in the future, and more and more Chinese parents are also encouraging their children to start participating in the Southeast Asian market.”

Other industry insiders point to the UK as having become a popular destination for high-end overseas study, while the US is seen as a shrinking market.

“The cost and difficulty of obtaining visas for study tours to the United States are becoming very high,” said Cherry Ma, an international education and immigration consultant in Sichuan. “Apart from high-net-worth families, most middle-class Chinese parents think they cannot afford – and therefore are less interested in – such tours to the United States.

“The high cost of tuition at American universities is also discouraging many Chinese parents, and the chances of their children staying in the US to work after graduation are dwindling. “High visa rejection rates and the need to send students to Beijing to process visas are also reducing opportunities for Chinese students to participate in study tours to the US.”

Xie Weishi, from Guangzhou, said her daughter recently went on a 15-day study tour to the U.K. Stops included several major universities, the British Museum and Westminster Abbey, and the itinerary emphasized British politics, with visits to the Palace of Westminster.

“In the primary and secondary school market, most parents trust and pay for overseas study tours, which are introduced and arranged by the public schools their children attend,” Xie said. “As far as I know, most of these routes are to the UK this summer. Even in the most open [Chinese] cities like Guangzhou or Shanghai, public schools have not opened study tour routes to the US.”

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/trao-luu-du-hoc-nuoc-ngoai-hoi-sinh-manh-me-o-trung-quoc-dau-la-diem-den-hap-dan-280559.html