Overseas Chinese youth are racing to study in China

China's national college entrance examination (GAOKAO) admission scores have been released recently, and a special group of students have been admitted to Chinese universities.

As children of overseas Chinese, they have returned to China from all over the world for university education. In recent years, the trend of "nestlings returning to nest" has been hot, has formed a new wind direction.

As a typical representative of receiving overseas Chinese children to study in China, Huaqiao University has quite rich experience in this field.

Since 2018, the number of overseas Chinese students on campus has grown from less than 2,000 to more than 3,000, according to Hong Xuehui, director of the university's admissions office.

Previously, these overseas Chinese children were mainly from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries, but in recent years, "with the increase in number, the coverage has become more and more extensive," Hong said, adding that overseas Chinese students now come from more than 50 countries and regions around the world.

Hong said that as it concerns the overall situation of the national epidemic prevention, it is indeed unavoidable that some cases such as being unable to return to China to take the exam, but the overall work still keeps a normal pace. "Our admissions work is currently in progress, basically flat and slightly up, and we have issued hundreds of offers so far."

"My son came back to China for an internship last year, and many of the parents of students around me also sent their children back. I have a good friend whose daughter finished her bachelor's degree in China and is now going on to graduate school." Qiu Jinlian, a senior educator who has taught in Mauritius for 18 years, said that sending children back to study is something she has always encouraged from the perspective of both teachers and parents.

The safety and familiarity of coming home, China's educational philosophy and culture, and its own Chinese identity, all drive parents to make such decisions, she said. "It seems to me that it is important and fundamental for us as Chinese to know our roots."

In the face of this trend, Hong xuehui pointed out that in recent years, the optimization of China's school conditions, the improvement of living standards and other factors make overseas Chinese parents inclined to make such a choice. "At the end of the day, China is becoming more and more prosperous, so people are more and more motivated to come back and study," he said.

He also pointed out that compared with other students, overseas Chinese children's original foundation is different, so there will be a certain period of adaptation, but at the same time, their learning objectives are relatively more clear. If you plan to study back home, you should also keep abreast of national policies and pay attention to the study of Chinese.

Talking about the development of these students after graduation, Hong said that at present, overseas Chinese children have the advantage of in-depth understanding of the cultural habits of the two countries after returning to China for education. Whether starting businesses or entering into overseas enterprises, they are highly favored. "In the past two years, more and more companies have put forward the demand for talents in this field," he said.

"In fact, many of these students will eventually return to their countries or regions of origin." Along with their own development, Mr. Hung says, many of them will spontaneously become a new force in the local narrative of China.

"They have a special feeling for China. They really understand China when they study in China, and many of them fall in love with China. After they return to their original homes, they can communicate more directly with the locals because of their experiences and knowledge of living in China."

For the future, as Hong XueHui puts it: "in the face of the current complicated and changeable international situation, we may face many new challenges, but believe that as long as the country is strong enough, enough, or there will be more and more overseas Chinese children will go back to study, even more foreigners want to come to China to study, a trend that more and more obvious."