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Opinion | Chinese universities need to attract more foreign students, but not by treating them differently
- China has a talent-deficit problem that, if unsolved, will constrain its ability to innovate and further develop. It should take several steps to meet the challenge, starting with removing the wall between local and international students
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Recent events have stirred debate over the treatment of international students in China. From special “buddy programmes” for visiting students to lenient treatment of misbehaviour, many decry the apparent preferential treatment given to foreigners on campus.
Rather than obsessing on individual cases, we should also reflect on the broader question: why, despite all the perks and scholarships, do Chinese universities struggle to internationalise and attract top-calibre students from abroad?
In the US, international students account for 5.3 per cent of all those enrolled in higher education. In China, the figure is just 0.6 per cent. Outbound flows of Chinese students continue to dwarf the numbers that come to study in China. Addressing this imbalance is important. International talent, including international students, are a key ingredient for China’s high-quality growth.
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As it developed, China became a global player in the flow of goods and capital. In future, global flows of talent and expertise may be even more important for China’s development. This is all the more so given China’s economic restructuring and the waning of its demographic dividend.
Previous phases of globalisation were fuelled by the flow of goods. Today, trade is weakening as a driver of growth due to political and long-term structural trends. By contrast, global talent flows hold great potential as vectors of innovation, growth and development.
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