Overseas schools offer students educational advantages that are still missing in China. Using scientific methodology, teachers engage students' creativity and critical thinking skills, encourage learning through practice and discovery, and support students' mental, spiritual and physical development. There is also a greater emphasis on extracurricular activities compared to Chinese universities.

Despite the benefits of an overseas education, earning a degree abroad is not always the best choice for students. Some Chinese students face problems adapting to foreign languages and cultures.

"Many young Chinese students are simply unable to adapt to living in a foreign country," said Zhou Zhicheng, a professor who studied in Canada.

"Most parents don't know anything about the education structure in other countries, he added. "They just send their children on an adventure."

In addition, families run the risk of being cheated on quality and cost from institutions looking to cash in on the foreign student boom.

"In some cases, a school's marketing department creates a prestigious aura that helps sell the school in China," said Julian R. Taplin, a retired American psychologist. "There can be no doubts that schools short of money are finding the Chinese full-fee market a lifesaver."

In addition to the proliferation of marketing campaigns from overseas schools in the Chinese market, the schools' reputations are also being overinflated at home. A large contingency of local Chinese agencies make a living from fees they charge to students and on commissions they receive from schools for successful placement. As a result, students who use these services may be matched to a school that is not necessarily the best choice for them or the best value. Agents also downplay the difficulty of successful completing a degree overseas in order to maximize their own profits.

In 2007, China Daily reported that foreign students – mostly Asians – who graduated from Australian universities "have such poor English skills they should never have been admitted", and "more than 43 percent of Chinese graduates don't have sufficient English to work professionally in Australia. The study suggests overseas schools' admissions criteria for international students may play second fiddle to their desire for money.

The current gaps in quality and reputation between Chinese and overseas schools will never be narrowed if education reform in China is not given a chance. Top domestic institutions like Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Fudan University need to take the lead in these modernization efforts.

Nanfang University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen is currently conducting a bold new experiment that could change the face of education in China. The university has no affiliation with China's Ministry of Education. According to Professor Zhu Qingshi, who initiated the experiment, this has allowed the school to cut through red tape and focus on academic quality. 45 brave students are currently studying at the school and will complete their degrees in 2015. Despite the risks, the school says it remains committed to pursuing educational reform.

Reform must start somewhere. Courageous experiments such as Professor Zhu's must be accepted and pushed forward.

Lisa Carducci is a Canadian scholar living in Beijing.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn