Beijing universities are to enroll an extra 10,000 foreign
students in 2004, a rise of 33 percent over last year, the Beijing
Morning Post daily reported Thursday.
The students would expand international exchanges in higher
education, the paper quoted an official with the Beijing Municipal
Education Commission as saying.
Beijing is a major teaching base for foreign students in China,
with over 30,000 overseas students from 156 countries and regions,
accounting for 40 percent of the national total.
Surveys show that foreigners studying in Beijing are
increasingly engaged in modern science subjects, including
economics, finance and law, while in the past they mainly studied
the Chinese language and traditional Chinese medicine.
"Half of the foreign students plan to work here after
graduation," said Qu Delin, president of Beijing Language and
Culture University.
Beijing Language and Culture University, Peking University and
Beijing Normal University are the state designated Chinese teaching
bases for overseas students.
(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2004)