Chinese students studying overseas can expect to face better employment prospects in the future, thanks to a series of new policies and services.

 

Embassy representatives and Chinese officials unveiled a series of new policies for international students at a press conference for the 12th China International Education Exhibition Tour Spring Exhibition in Beijing on Monday.

 

Representatives from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Netherlands Embassies, as well as officials from the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), attended the conference.

 

Li Qin from the British Embassy said the United Kingdom has introduced a new policy that allows international postgraduate students to extend their visas by one year after they graduate. International students at universities in Scotland will be able to remain in the country for two years after graduation to help them gain more work experience.

 

An official from the Netherlands Embassy confirmed Holland is introducing the same student visa policy as the United Kingdom.

 

CSCSE Vice Director Shao Wei said the center has established a new website for returning students and employers who want to hire them. It will serve as a two-way platform for overseas Chinese students to communicate directly with businesses.

 

Shao Wei also said Chinese students have started making more rational choices when selecting schools and majors. He advised students heading overseas to study general subjects like the natural sciences and agriculture because they have lower tuition fees and offer broader prospects for employment.

 

Chinese students who are thinking of studying abroad can find more information at the 12th China International Education Exhibition Tour. The tour will run from 3 to 20 March 2007 in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Guangzhou.

 

Since it was launched in 1999, the tour has been held in 20 large Chinese cities. It has also attracted around 1,000 universities from 42 countries and more than 800,000 Chinese visitors.

 

(CRI February 27, 2007)