COVID-19 drives Sino-foreign cooperative higher education services

05:41

Sino-foreign cooperative universities in China are embracingfresh opportunities as Chinese students are likely to pursue this kind of higher education in China rather than going abroad due to the coronavirus outbreak and geopolitical uncertainties.

Some market participants at the ChinaInternational Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) told CGTN that such change could benefit Sino-foreign cooperative higher education universities in China.

"COVID-19 has brought much uncertainty to the world and impacted everyone's life.It has also provided opportunities for (Sino-foreign cooperative) higher institutions, like us, to excel in its digital transformation," said Prof. Nick Miles, Provost of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China.

China has been the largest country of origin for international students in the world for many years.

Based on Statista, the number of Chinese students going abroad for study has increased in recent years. In 2018, around 662,100 Chinese students left China to pursue overseas studies, increasing by 11.74 percent compared to the previous year.

However, China's international education industry is one of the most affected during the pandemic, according to a survey by the Beijing Overseas Study Service Association (BOSSA), an association of agents across China that recruits for universities abroad.

The survey shows that two-thirds of agencies surveyed forecast a decline in Chinese students going abroad this year. Almost three-quarters of agents report that student consultations have dropped compared to previous years.

Meanwhile, political factors also hinder Chinese students to study abroad. For example, the U.S. earlier this year restricted the visa of Chinese students by using various excuses.

And studying in a Sino-foreign cooperative university in China rather than studying abroad directly now becomes a real and viable choice for Chinese students.

"Our college has had historical record high for the first time in 80 years, in terms of the recruitment score. In other words, more students choose to study in a Sino-joint venture, like us, to study at home instead of going to study abroad directly," said Wu Wenying, president of Beijing-Dublin International College at Beijing University of Technology.

Prof. Miles observed a similar trend as well. "We've had a higher increase of post graduate students looking to study here with us in China rather than going abroad to international universities where there are issues. And our undergraduate numbers are pretty stable as well."

"The trend of globalization has never been changed. International education will continue to grow and prosper. I think the only change might be that the number of students going for direct study becomes a little bit less in the future. The number of students choosing to study at (Sino-foreign cooperative) university, which can offer high quality international education, might increase," Wu predicted.

Prof. Miles believes that higher education institutions could accelerate their digitalization right now, since cutting-edge technologies, like 5G, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things, will "undoubtedly enhance the learning experience for students, cultivating their abilities, such as active learning and collaborative problem solving."

"We've updated a lot of our classrooms during the pandemic to facilitate the better blending of online and offline teaching. These technical innovations allow off-campus students to gain class experience wherever they are, and let them easily participate in online discussions," he added.