The foreign student enrollment threshold for Shanghai colleges has been lowered. Since August 2007, private colleges and scientific academies in Shanghai are permitted to enroll foreign students just as public universities do, the Commission of Education of Shanghai recently confirmed.

Shanghai Sanda University, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, and Shanghai Jianqiao College will begin foreign student enrollment in August and September this year respectively.

The foreign student population in Shanghai has increased annually by 30% since 2000. At the end of 2006, the total number reached a record high of 31,636 foreign students.

It is predicted that the overall size of the foreign student body in Shanghai will have exceeded 70,000 by 2010. The government said that they expected to see more foreign students studying here because more colleges are now allowed to enroll foreigners.

Foreign student enrollment will begin in more private colleges and scientific academies in Shanghai, according to the Commission of Education.

The commission also says they are making efforts to improve the education quality. They are planning on more government-funded scholarships.

(China.org.cn by Lu Lu August 24, 2007)