To foreign shores for brighter prospects

Fringe benefits

There are other benefits too. Take the case of Dai Liren, who will graduate with a master's degree in business administration from Concordia University in Canada next year.

When he returns after his MBA, he will have missed the prime job-seeking season and also lack internship experience. But that doesn't bother him. "In the two years in Canada, I have picked up important skills to start my own business, make business proposals and financial forecast, organize necessary information and even get finance from investors. I have already decided to open a private high school with a local partner there."

Before leaving for the course, he worked, for three years, at a State-owned financial company at Chengdu, Sichuan province. "I was making 280,000 yuan per year back then, a decent salary for a place like Chengdu," Dai said.

"But I'm glad I quit. While working in Chengdu, I realized it would be hard for me to get promotion as I only had a bachelor's degree," the 31-year-old said.

He had graduated from Eastern Michigan University in the United States. "Elsewhere too, the academic qualifications bar was set high for applicants.

Switching to another company would not have helped." So he decided to pursue the master's degree course in Canada.

But overseas education should not be viewed only from the perspective of return on investment, because the experience also helps students develop valuable, non-academic skills.

"Moreover, overseas study experience is not suitable for everyone. Students should decide on the basis of their individual condition," Ji said.