Chinese graduate students increasingly choose to study in Asia

Chinese graduate students are increasingly choosing to stay in Asia to further their studies, according to an analysis of global higher-education trends published by Nature.

Student flows

Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macau are projected to have the fastest increase in the number of enrolled students from the Chinese mainland between 2025 and 2030, according to figures shared with Nature by London-based consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). Malaysia is projected to see an annual rise of 13% in the number of Chinese enrolments between 2025 and 2030, the highest growth in QS’s analysis. South Korea is the fourth fastest-growing destination on the list, with a yearly increase in enrolment rates of 8%. Hong Kong is expected to have around 35,000 more students from the Chinese mainland enrolled in its higher-education institutions in 2030 than in 2025.

For the United States, Australia and Canada, QS projections point in the opposite direction: the number of Chinese enrolments is projected to decrease year-on-year, with the United Kingdom holding steady. The number of Chinese students studying in US universities is projected to fall by an average of 4% each year between 2025 and 2030, the sharpest drop of all countries and territories assessed.

Why students are moving

Alice Wei, a consultant at QS, says prospective Chinese students now consider a wider combination of factors, including how far the host country is from home and how easily they can find a job with their degree. Students from China — and other countries — are facing more restrictions during and after their time in the United States, Wei says. For example, the US federal government in July proposed putting a hard limit on the duration of visas issued to foreign students and requires them to pack up and leave within 30 days of their programmes ending. Another US proposal suggests a US$100,000 fee for international students if they intend to stay to work after graduating. Australia and Canada have also introduced tougher immigration rules for foreign students.

Geopolitical tensions are another deterrent. US-based researchers are increasingly being scrutinized over their collaboration with Chinese partners as the United States enhances research security. Zhao Junyi, a postgraduate student from Beijing who started a four-year PhD programme in planetary science at the University of Hong Kong in September, says “Because I am a Chinese national, it would be nearly impossible for me to participate in NASA’s research programmes.” NASA has blocked Chinese citizens from joining its programme out of security concerns.

What attracts students to Asia

Shorter geographical distances and familiar lifestyles are possible selling points. Malaysia’s sizeable community of people who speak Mandarin or Chinese dialects makes Chinese students feel at home, says Ngeow Chow Bing, director of the Institute of China Studies at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. A visa-free travel policy between the two nations also means that their relatives can visit them whenever they want, he says.

In South Korea, it is the country’s high-tech manufacturing industries that attract Chinese students, such as those for semiconductor chips, biopharmaceutical and advanced materials, says Xie Yuzhen, a Shanghai-based independent researcher who studies China’s higher-education industry. Students can gain first-hand experience in these industries owing to the close relationship between big companies and universities, Xie says.

Zhao says he decided against furthering his studies in the United States partly because of the federal government’s cuts to scientific funding. He didn’t go back to the Chinese mainland because only those with a master’s degree can apply for doctoral courses there, whereas Hong Kong doesn’t have such a requirement, he explains. China’s rapid advancements in space exploration are also a massive draw. Zhao’s current supervisor is analysing lunar samples collected by China’s Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6 space missions.

“Hong Kong is so attractive in so many ways,” says Zhao, who is on a university scholarship that covers his tuition fees, rent and life expenses. In Hong Kong, Zhao says, he can stay abreast of updates from China’s space programme in an English-speaking, international environment, as well as “connect with the research community and collaborate with colleagues from Europe and the United States.” He also says one of the most exciting things about studying in Hong Kong is that it means he can visit home easily, especially for important occasions. “I couldn’t go home for the Chinese New Year for many years when I was in the United States because it was not a public holiday there.”

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Sources

• nature.com: Chinese graduate students are now choosing to stay closer to home | Nature

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.