subject: Overseas students are growing [print this page] Overseas students are growing Overseas students are growing
Th digit f international students around th planet long-lasting t rise sharply, wth provisional figures frm Unesco's Institute fr Statistics revealing n annual boost f 12%.
Th final figures fr 2009, t b published n M, r probable t hw th digit f international students rising t 3.43 million frm 2.96 million, according t th Unesco statistics.
Here r many different measures f overseas students bt th global figure frm Unesco shows a h spike n facts th decade, rising b more thn 75% n 2000.
Th United States th rt destination. According t th Institute f International Education, th latest figures hw here r 691,000 students n th US, wth n annual value t th economy estimated t around $20bn (12.3bn).
Bt t dominance now depends n th r-growing digit f arrivals frm China, overtaking India th rt single group f overseas students. Th digit f Chinese students n th US rose b nearly 30% n a single year. Th third rt contingent n th US comes frm South Korea.
China h become th firecracker n th promote. Here r more thn 440,000 Chinese students abroad n here r plans t rapidly boost th digit f overseas students coming t China's universities, wth n ambitious target f 500,000 places.
T th nt a longer-term perspective, th entire overseas student population n China once h travelled n a minibus. In th early 1950s t consisted f 20 east Europeans.
Chasing quality
Driving th demand mn Chinese t study abroad a shortage f places n high-quality degree courses t home n th pressure t h n overseas qualification whn chasing jobs, Rahul Choudaha, frequent director f th Nw York-based Planet Education Services.
Th Chinese university system h expanded n terms f quantity, Dr Choudaha, bt t struggling t keep pace wth th demand fr quality.
Th t t bring more overseas students nt China rt f th country's drive t internationalise t economy n become a "knowledge power", Dr Choudaha.
It's a reflection f hw much th culture f th overseas student promote h changed wth western universities n longer b t depend n thr pivotal position.
It w once a trade stately steamships, vaguely colonial n hw t managed t mk a nice small earner seem rthr philanthropic.
Now t's more k international air travel, wth th trade routes f th multi-billion business wrapping themselves around th globe n each direction.
Th current intake f overseas students n China shows a different kind f map f influence. Th n European country n t top 10 Russia wth th mt overseas students n China coming frm South Korea, th US, Japan, Thailand n Vietnam.
Overseas without th travel
It's n longer necessarily bt overseas students travelling frm overseas.
Figures released b th British Council th week hw tht here r now more "overseas students" taking UK degrees n thr wn countries thn here r overseas students coming t study n th UK.
Th UK th second rt destination fr overseas students.
Bt here r now 340,000 students taking UK university courses n thr home countries, n through partnerships between UK n local universities r through UK universities setting up branch campuses, such Nottingham n Ningbo n China.
More thn 160 branch campuses h bn opened n more thn 50 countries mostly b US universities. Here r a multitude f partnerships n joint degrees rt f th academic thwart-pollination.
According t th British Council, th type f "transnational" studying h increased b 70% n a decade.
Th council's chief executive, Martin Davidson, th going t fascinate t "students r th planet wh m nt b b t afford t spend several years thousands f miles away frm home".
Equipment n n accelerate th process. Online degrees r mkn strides n th mainstream, wth US firms such Laureate teaming up wth institutions such Liverpool University t offer internet-based courses. Laureate h a network f university links n 24 countries.
Talent search
Another key t th growth n internationalisation th competition fr th mt talented students n personnel.
Major research institutions r k top football clubs, operating n n a kind f international zone, judged b international comparisons n competing t recruit th best individuals frm around th planet.
