High educational quality and low cost than the United States and Europe have attracted local people to look closely at a fair of Australian educational institutions which began Friday, a consulate official said.
Some 50 educational organizations based in Australia are showcasing their programs at the ongoing fair, including well-reputed ones such as the University of New South Wales and the University of Melbourne, according to the manger of the business section of the Australian consulate in Guangzhou, capital of the southern province of Guangdong.
Foreign students will not feel uncomfortable in Australia, a nation where 30 percent of the population are immigrants from around 100 countries and regions, the manager said.
The cost of studying there, including tuition and living expenditure, is almost half that in the United States and Europe, and, if legally eligible, students may stay for a job or ask for citizenship, according to the manager.
About 5,000 to 6,000 people visited the fair on Saturday, the largest number so far for a fair on Australian education, the sponsor said.
Many Chinese students and their parents are eager to get useful information on education overseas, and many such fairs and exhibitions have been held from time to time in China's major cities over the past few years.
(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2003)
