International students are increasingly studying in China. China’s economy is improving faster than expected, that is, it is predicted that 2015 will be equivalent to the large-scale economic growth of 2050. China has attracted Western countries’ attention to its growth rate, and the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo have intensified this positive attention. Another factor that attracts students to China is that compared with most Western countries, the cost of living in China is much lower. Finally, China’s major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai already have strong international influence.
There are currently about 1,000 colleges and universities in China. Well-known universities such as Peking University, Tsinghua University and Fudan University have won international reputations for their excellent teaching and research facilities. China has signed agreements with nearly 40 countries including France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia to recognize selected diplomas. Many Chinese universities, such as United International College, now offer English degrees so that students who do not understand Chinese can study there.
University courses
Language trainee
The university accepts students who have reached the minimum qualifications in the secondary school curriculum. These courses usually last 1 or 2 years. Students will receive a certificate after completing the course. Students who do not speak Chinese and want to study in China usually need to complete a language training course.
Undergraduate
An undergraduate degree usually requires 4 to 5 years of study. International students will attend classes with Chinese students. Taking into account the past education of each student, some courses can be added or deleted accordingly. After passing the necessary exams and completing the thesis, students will receive a bachelor’s degree.
Postgraduate
The master’s degree is obtained after 2 to 3 years of study. Also take oral and written exams and postgraduate thesis.
Notable projects include the Yenching College of Peking University and the Schwartzman Scholars of Tsinghua University in Beijing.
PhD student
It usually takes 4 to 5 years of study to obtain a doctorate.
Research scholar
Research is usually conducted independently by students under the supervision of a designated tutor. Any investigations, experiments, interviews, or visits that must be conducted by research scholars need to be arranged and authorized in advance.
Double First-Class University Program
The Double First-Class University Program or Double Top University Program is a Chinese government plan envisaged in 2015, aiming to fully develop a group of elite Chinese universities and individual university systems into world-class universities and discipline by the end of 2050.
Short-term training courses
Now, there are short courses in many fields such as Chinese literature, calligraphy, economy, architecture, Chinese law, Chinese medicine, art and sports. Courses are offered during holidays and semesters.
Foreign students can continue to study and obtain a master’s or doctorate degree from a Chinese university. Some universities offer courses in foreign languages, but most courses are in Chinese. Before registering for such courses, you need to prove that you have sufficient Chinese proficiency. You can pass the HSK test (Chinese Proficiency Test), which is the official way to prove your skills at basic, intermediate or advanced levels. The test involves reading, writing and listening, but not oral. For dates and locations, please refer to the HSK homepage.
learn Chinese
There are many opportunities to learn Chinese in China, including university courses and special courses. You can get a scholarship from your home country or the Chinese government. In any city with a large expat community, you can also find private courses that you can take while working in China.
Some people find a job in China, hoping that they can learn Chinese naturally on the way. This is not a good idea-the difficulty of pitch, character, and to a lesser degree grammar means that it is difficult to make progress in the language without a solid foundation of skilled teachers. A better idea is to start classes (one semester or one month intensive course, if your teacher is good) to get a good foundation.
Consider your destination carefully. If your friends or colleagues and people on the street speak Mandarin to each other, you will learn faster. This basically means northern cities (such as Beijing, Harbin or Xi’an) or cities with large numbers of residents from all over the country (such as Shanghai or Shenzhen). Please note that immigrant cities like Shenzhen will have a variety of non-standard accents, which will help improve your hearing at higher levels, but may make it more difficult for you to improve your pronunciation.
scholarship
In order to promote its culture and language, the Chinese government provides scholarships for foreigners who want to study in China. Some scholarships only cover tuition fees. The full scholarship covers almost everything, including books, rent, some medical insurance, and monthly food and expense subsidies. Although studying takes you to a specific city and restricts the time you can spend traveling, a scholarship is a great way to get a residence permit through some red tape, and if you are lucky, you can live in China almost for free.
If you need to inquire about scholarships, please contact the embassy in your area directly, or ask about relevant Chinese courses in universities and language schools. Scholarships are allocated to each country on a quota basis, so you will compete with your compatriots instead of competing with the entire world. This procedure varies from country to country, but usually requires the following paperwork:
An authorized copy of your highest (preferably university) degree, including test scores; complete health check ( Chinese embassy authentication is required)
Two letters of recommendation
Proof (blood test, electrocardiogram, X-ray, etc.)
The reason for your research
Lots of passport-sized photos
All of these are shipped to Beijing by the embassy, and then Beijing decides who will be accepted, where, and under what conditions. The application is usually decided before the end of March, but the answer may not start until August, and the course starts in September.
If all goes well, this will provide you with an acceptance letter from the selected university and a visa that allows you to stay in China for approximately two months. Once you enter China, you will have to undergo a medical examination again and upgrade your visa to a residence permit. This is part of the university that comes in handy, because they should be able to handle all the paperwork and even bring a campus medical team to check on you-prefer to run from the police station to the hospital consulate, especially if you don’t speak Chinese!
After completing all the work, you will get a residence permit that allows you to stay in China for one year, allowing you to leave and enter the country at will, and enjoy fair travel capacity restrictions on weekends, holidays and occasionally skipping classes.
Scholarships can only be applied for through official channels. Beware of “application agent” scammers, they will happily take your money and give you a useless fake acceptance letter. When you try to apply for a visa, you may only find that this letter is incorrect.