Foreign schools woo Chinese students

The China Education Expo 2012 started yesterday in Beijing, attracting more than 500 overseas institutions and education bureaus from 38 countries and regions around the world, with new national faces intensifying in's world's largest recruitment market.

The number of countries pavilions present their countries reached a record 21 academic opportunities, including educational powers such as Canada, the U.S., Britain, Germany and Spain, said Zong Wa, Deputy Secretary-General of China Education Association for international exchange.

The annul expo wraps her Beijing show on Sunday and moves on six other major mainland cities (including Shanghai next weekend) Tour before ending in Guangzhou on 3 November.

"China is a potential market. We don't want to miss. We have seen a steady growth of Chinese students to study in Spain, "said Jenny Mendoza, chief market analyst with Spain's economic and Trade Office in Beijing.

Although Spain is mired in the global financial crisis and the number of institutions that it brought to China this year-more than 20-a bit smaller, said that they do not restrict Spain's desire to be in the future more Chinese students embrace Mendoza.

Institutions from the UK and the us both numbered more than 80. And Canada, a long time hot destination for Chinese students, had the most exhibitors with 94. The expo held in the exhibition space China filled two floors, with schools from Canada and the US occupies the entire second floor.

About 20 education of regional offices from Canada came to attract Chinese students for primary and high school education.

"Our schools have a large number of Chinese students and there is not enough space. I think that in the future we are going to Select students, in contrast to recruit anyone who applies, "said Shawn Silverstone, assistant manager of Surrey schools International Education Department.

As this year country of honor brings Germany more than 30 institutions to Beijing, including some elite universities such as the University of Heidelberg and Technical University of Munich.

"Chinese students are the largest group of international students in Germany. We welcome more young Chinese come to our country, "said the German Ambassador Michael Schaefer in China at a press conference Saturday afternoon, adding the number of Chinese students in Germany has reached 23,000 last year.

Zhang Zongliang, a student majoring in German in his fourth year at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, said he was surprised by the passion settings after about 10 German cabins have shown.

"Everyone is hands waving at me and say ' Come to join us '," said Zhang.

According to the Ministry of education given the number of Chinese students studying abroad has an annual growth of 19.19 percent, jumping from 339,700 118,500 students in 2005-in 2011. The number is expected to reach 400,000 this year.

The thriving recruitment market has also attracted Slovakia Bulgaria Latvia Lithuania, from universities, and, although many Chinese have little knowledge about these countries.

"Although we don't have a lot of Chinese students now, we want to have them in the future to help us build an international education culture," said Michal Fedak, Deputy Director of the Slovak Academic Information Agency.

While acknowledging that only 15 Chinese students in Slovakia during the academic year 2010-2011 studied, said Fedak Slovakia has kept coming to China for education promotion for several years and will continue to do so in the future.

ORT Braude College, an Engineering University from Israel, came to China for recruitment for the first time for the country and for the University.

"We simply want to have connection with China. We have no Chinese students now, "said Samuel Gazit, a professor of mechanical engineering at Braude College.

Last year Japan had 60 schools represented, but with the current tension between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands, there are no Japanese institutions at the expo this year.