As China remains Asia’s most popular destination for overseas students, more international students are coming to China for degree programs, said China’s Ministry of Education, who revealed the number of international students studying in Chinese postgraduate programs in 2018 increased by 12.3 percent year-on-year.

Last year, a total of 492,200 international students from 196 countries and regions around the world had studied, engaged in research, or received training in 1,004 Chinese colleges and universities, scientific research institutions, and other educational institutions, as shown by statistics from the Ministry of Education.

258,100 international students studied in degree programs in China last year, accounting for 52.4 percent of international students in China, up 6.9 percent from 2017, while the number of international students applying for postgraduate programs in China reached 85,000 last year, rising by 12.3 percent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, China saw a significant increase in the number of international students studying in engineering, management, science, art and agricultural science, proving that the country’s science education has become more attractive to international students.

Among all the international students in China, a total of 63,000 from 182 countries and regions received scholarships from the Chinese government, including 56,600 students in degree programs, an official from the Ministry of Education disclosed.

To attract more international students, China has established a relatively sophisticated legal system and policy foundation for international students in China, covering recruitment, education, management, services and employment.

Moreover, China has endeavored to improve the quality of education for international students in China by implementing policies on quality of education in China, encouraging third-party industries to formulate accreditation standards for industry associations, and establishing various mechanisms to ensure the quality of education.

Furthermore, the country has continuously perfected preparatory education for foreign students who plan to study in China, built 52 demonstration bases for international students studying in China, recognized 300 quality courses given in English for international students, and trained more than 3,000 managerial staff to handle affairs concerning foreign students in China as well as nearly 1,000 teachers to give lessons in English.