Learning experience that benefits the world

Having international education mobility in top universities in China, the United States and Europe is a win-win approach for the human race, said Mary M. Dwyer, president and chief executive officer of the Institute for the International Education of Students, during an exclusive interview with China Daily on June 2.

She explains that having individuals with diverse life experiences in a classroom improves educational outcomes for all students. This is also important as it reinforces cultural exchange and helps tear down stereotypes that people might have about one another.

“COVID-19 is a reminder to people around the world how similar we are. No matter what cultural differences students may have, they now have lived through an unprecedented global pandemic. COVID-19 has created a common human experience that reminds us that at the core we are more alike than we are different,” she says.

Despite the US government’s recent announcements about plans to cut back the number of Chinese students seeking further education in the country, numerous US higher education institutions are still unveiling policies that welcome Chinese students, says Dwyer.

She points out that a number of elite universities in the US, including those in the states of Pennsylvania, Illinois, California and Ohio, have been working closely with IES and the Study Abroad Foundation to develop innovative programming to serve Chinese students who are not able to attend classes in-person this fall due to travel restrictions.

SAF is a department of IES that provides students from certain Asian countries with education exchange opportunities at prestigious universities in the US and Europe mainly.

China has been the largest provider of overseas students in the world for at least the past seven years. There are some 1.6 million students from China involved in various kinds of studies abroad, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in April. There are 410,000 Chinese students in the US.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the value of Chinese students in US universities, which have acknowledged in the US press how concerned they are about not being able to receive Chinese students, who account for around one-third of international students in US educational institutions,” Dwyer says.

Despite the pandemic, industry observers say overall enthusiasm for overseas studies will remain stable.

“Overseas studies are an irreversible result of globalization. Just like how people will resume their travel plans after the pandemic is over, students will continue to go overseas for studies,” said Zhou Chenggang, chief executive of New Oriental Education and Technology Group, at an industry exhibition in March.

Chinese students would naturally have doubts during this time of uncertainty, but they are largely eager to study overseas and are still making plans in the face of travel restrictions, says Dwyer.

Dwyer adds that in the post-pandemic era, studying abroad will still be a vital component of students’ education.

“Although the world is currently facing unprecedented challenges, young people still need these experiences so that they’re adequately equipped to take up the mantle of leadership in the future,” she says.

When more Chinese students go abroad to study, they also take on the roles of better conveying Chinese culture and stories to the communities abroad, Dwyer says.

Cheng Guoxiao, 29, from Southeast University in Nanjing city, Jiangsu province, had such experience when he participated in an international exchange program in Vienna and Geneva early last year.

The student, who majored in electronic circuit and systems, recalls preparing red envelopes filled with gift money to express his gratitude to his professors and friends.

“I was glad that some friends said it was their first time learning about such an interesting tradition,” he says.