Foreign students studying in Beijing have gradually returned to
their classrooms now that the World Health Organization has removed
the Chinese capital from its travel advisory and its list of
SARS-infected areas.
Classes in other Chinese cities, where SARS
(severe acute respiratory syndrome) had a less serious effect than
in Beijing, have been proceeding as normal.
Small numbers of students went back to their own countries but have
returned to their classrooms in China, a Ministry of Education
official told China Daily yesterday.
More than 85,000 foreign students have come to China this year for
a variety of courses. They are studying at 406 universities on the
Chinese mainland that are eligible to recruit foreign students.
Some 90 per cent of these students are self-supporting, according
to Chen Yinghui, an official in the ministry's Department of
International Co-operation and Exchanges.
About one-third of these students returned to their home countries
after Beijing was categorized as a SARS-infected area in mid-April.
The remaining two-thirds stayed in China.
Chen said: "Fortunately, none of those who left China or those who
stayed in the country have been infected by SARS or similar
diseases."
In
late March, the Ministry of Education called on universities to
enhance epidemic prevention work among foreign students and help
them do more physical exercise to safeguard their health.
Most universities invited health experts to give foreign students
lectures on how to prevent SARS precaution. Many institutions
prepared traditional Chinese medicines for students.
Many universities bought gauze masks and exercise equipment for
foreign students, Chen said.
From April 12, some foreign students wanted to leave for their own
countries and asked for their tuition fees to be returned.
Most universities repaid the fees to foreign students going home
and won acclaim from the student body.
"Returning tuition fees to students did cause economic losses to
some universities but, during the critical SARS period, what we
care for most is the health and interests of students," said
Chen.
The Ministry of Education and universities also helped foreign
students apply for life insurance policies that cover SARS with the
Ping'an Insurance Company. The company's policy guarantees medical
expenses for foreign students.
At
Beijing Normal University, foreign students were divided into
several small groups, which would study in spacious,
well-ventilated classrooms.
Peking University has held several parties for foreign students to
enrich their campus life.
At
Xi'an Jiaotong University in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province,
foreign students volunteered to donate 100 yuan (US$12) each to
help the school fight against SARS.
Chen said: "The urgent preventive measures taken by government
departments and universities played an effective role in warding
off SARS attacks on foreign students.
"In the second half of the year, we will concentrate on long-term
precautionary measures to protect foreign students and help protect
them against any possible epidemics.
"We encourage more foreign students to study in China over the next
few years," she said.
Although the SARS situation has made it difficult to forecast how
many foreign students will come to China in the second half of this
year, some universities have received good news.
Some 1,500 new foreign students have registered for the autumn term
at Beijing Language and Culture University, which has the largest
number of foreign students in China, according to Zheng Chengjun,
deputy director of the university's Department of Foreign
Students.
Although no exact figure is yet available, a "considerable" number
of foreign students have expressed interest in applying to study at
Beijing Normal University, said Lin Fan, who is in charge of
foreign student affairs.
Over the past few years, the number of overseas students in China
has continued to rise, building on two decades of the country's
opening-up policy and accelerated by its accession in December 2001
to the World Trade Organization, according to Chen.
The latest statistics indicate that the Chinese mainland received a
total of 85,829 students from 175 countries and regions last
year.
Ninety-three per cent of those are self-supporting, up 42
percentage points on 2001.
Last year, 77 per cent of overseas students were from Asia, 10 per
cent from the Americas, another 10 per cent from Europe, 2 per cent
from Africa and 1 per cent from Oceania.
The Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, Indonesia and Viet
Nam are the top five countries and account for the majority of
overseas students in China.
Chinese literature and traditional Chinese medicine are the most
popular subjects for overseas students.
Last year, China awarded government scholarships to 6,074 students
from 153 countries and regions, accounting for 7 per cent of the
total number of overseas students.
Beijing ranks first in the number of foreign students, followed by
Shanghai and Tianjin.
(China Daily July 3, 2003)