China to Implement University entrance examination (Gaokao) for international students.
On Jan 26th 2019, The economist magazine published an article entitled: “Why China is lavishing money on foreign students?”1. The article stressed the financial support behind the study in China program which indeed was a great booster for international students to study in China. Take african students for example as i published in an article two years ago, their number have exponentially risen from few hundreds to thousands between 1956 to 2015.
These numbers caught the attention of many chinese who are unhappy on how easy it is for international students to get access to finest Universities in the country. Chinese netizen used a hashtag to express their feelings on the matter. The hashtag, "proposal for raising the admission standards for international students in China," has gained 140 million views on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo as of march 2021. Many Chinese netizens shared their support to the proposal saying that "international students and domestic students should be treated equally."2 It took the movement two years to be translated into policy.
Now, several Chinese universities are requiring international students to undergo proficiency examinations organized by the Ministry of Education in May, as opposed to admitting students solely based on applications.
Institutions such as the China University of Petroleum and the University of International Business and Economics recently publicized this change. Chinese-based educational consulting company, Admission365.com, has corroborated these announcements from their academic partners.
Dr. Bouchaib, the lead consultant at Admission365.com, stated that the examinations are scheduled for May and June. International students aspiring to enroll in 142 Chinese universities for undergraduate programs must apply for the exams, with most universities requiring registration by May 30.
This initiative marks the first instance of China implementing a national entrance examination for international students, according to Dr. Bouchaib. Previously, only top-tier institutions, such as Tsinghua University, conducted such examinations to shortlist applicants. HoweverStudents who secure admission before May are exempt from these exams, Dr. Bouchaib added.
The exams will cover specialized Chinese subjects (Social Sciences, Economics-Commerce, Science-Technology, and Medicine), alongside fundamental subjects (Math, Physics, and Chemistry). The specific content may vary across different universities.
The exams will be available both online and offline. International students residing outside China can take online tests either on May 25-26 or June 1-2.
International students in China can take the exams in person on either June 15-16 or June 22-23.
Experts believe that the introduction of these exams aims to enhance the quality of international university entrants.
Dr. Bouchaib noted that previously, scholarship considerations primarily relied on GPA, HSK Chinese-language proficiency test scores, study plans, extracurricular activities, and interviews. However, these criteria only highlighted academic abilities and Chinese proficiency, not specialized expertise.
"The results of these exams will help universities determine if candidates are well-suited for specific programs," Dr. Bouchaib explained.
Dr. Bouchaib further mentioned that students might face challenges with Chinese reading comprehension and may be unfamiliar with the exam format. To prepare, candidates should review past exam samples and practice independently.
China boasts approximately 2,700 universities, with around 140 receiving special government investment. Over 30 Chinese universities rank among the top 400 globally.
In the past three years, China has not disclosed the number of international students within the country. However, as of September 2022, the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam for instance reported over 22,000 Vietnamese students studying in China.
Annually, the Chinese government offers generous scholarship slots to international students, each valued between ¥2,500-3,500 ($346.54-485.15). Additionally, international students can apply for various other scholarships provided by local governments or universities and\or their own governments scholarships.
The results for such a program are yet to be seen. Consider subscribing to stay updated with this trend. Thank you for reading and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section bellow.
https://www.economist.com/china/2019/01/26/why-china-is-lavishing-money-on-foreign-students.
Chinese political advisor proposes to tighten admission standards for international students https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1217634.shtml