Students get advice about study programs in Europe from European educational experts at the 12th China International Education Expo. The expo, featuring nearly 200 educational institutions from Canada, Ireland, France, Britain, the US and other Western nations, opened in Chongqing on March 6.

The European Higher Education Fair will be in the spotlight during the China Education Expo 2007 on October 19-21, becoming the largest European educational presence China has ever seen.

Roughly 200 higher education institutions from 27 EU member states will showcase their courses and create a forum for the exchange of views on higher education policies in the EU and China by experts from both sides.

"The fair will serve as a hub for Chinese students to meet directly with their European target schools," said Wu Zaofeng, deputy secretary-general of the China Education Association for International Exchange, the organizer of the expo.

"The EU and China have already held several policy discussions about higher education, which have produced some interesting ideas for China to further develop its higher education policy," she said. "In certain areas this cooperation has proven to be very successful."

The China-Europe International Business School, established in Shanghai 10 years ago, as the first international business school of its kind in China, is an example of how successful educational cooperation between the EU and China can be. A number of new China-EU projects will be launched in China in the near future, including a China-EU School of Law. The school is expected to begin teaching in 2008, although a location has not yet been chosen.

The number of Chinese students studying in Europe has been on the rise in recent years, especially after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Known for being innovative and culturally diverse, European education is especially attractive to Chinese students.

There are 100,000 Chinese students currently studying in Europe, according to European Commission figures, and China is potentially the world's largest recruitment market for higher education.

"Chinese students will find all the majors they want to study are taught in English here, and they will also have the chance to experience the international world in a more cost-effective way in the Netherlands," said Jacques Van Vliet, director of the Netherlands Education Support Office (China), the official organization of Dutch higher education in China.

"Located in the heart of Europe , the Netherlands is known for its truly international environment," said Van Vliet.

(China Daily October 10, 2007)