'Study in China' brand gaining traction, attracting intl talent

"Study in China" has emerged as a globally recognized brand, with Chinese language instruction now incorporated into the national education systems of 92 countries and the number of international students on Chinese campuses rising rapidly, Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng said on Thursday.

Speaking at a symposium, Huai said China will further strengthen the "Study in China" brand to attract outstanding young talent from abroad and cultivate more friends who understand and appreciate China.

The country will also promote cooperation with leading foreign universities in science and engineering to provide more diverse, high-quality educational opportunities while strengthening oversight to safeguard academic standards, he said.

"China is ready to move to the center of the global education stage by promoting its concepts, solutions and standards and transforming itself from a participant into a leader," Huai said.

He said the number of international students in China is growing rapidly, with a marked improvement in both the structure and quality of enrollment. Notably, the number of students from developed countries and regions has increased significantly.

Meanwhile, China will improve its full-chain service system for Chinese students studying overseas and encourage overseas returnees to start businesses and pursue careers back home, he said.

Huai said people-to-people exchanges have also gained strong momentum. More than 50,000 young Americans have visited China under bilateral exchange programs, achieving the "50,000 in five years" initiative two and a half years ahead of schedule. Similarly, the goals for Franco-Chinese youth exchanges and a broader Europe-wide initiative are on track to be met ahead of schedule.

China's international influence in education has also expanded through digital learning, vocational education, engineering programs and teacher development, which have become the country's calling cards globally, Huai said.

The National Smart Education Platform now serves users in more than 200 countries and regions. Chinese mathematics textbooks have been adopted in basic education in the United Kingdom, the country's "AI for K12" curriculum has been introduced in countries including Thailand and Uzbekistan and 38 Luban Workshops have been established in 32 countries, he said.

Highlighting China's overall education achievements, Huai said the country has built the world's largest education system, with 440,000 schools, 280 million students and 18.7 million teachers, while key indicators rank among the world's best.

Preschool enrollment stands at 92.9 percent, above the OECD average. The retention rate for compulsory education has reached 96.1 percent, while the gross enrollment rate in higher education has doubled since 2012 to 61.3 percent.

Chinese students continue to perform strongly in international assessments such as PISA, while domestic universities are climbing global rankings. China has 66 disciplines ranking among the world's top 0.01 percent in Essential Science Indicators. The country has also surpassed the United States in high-impact papers tracked by the Nature Index across five core scientific fields for three consecutive years. Chinese institutions received three-quarters of the country's national science and technology awards this year.

"In just a few decades, we have accomplished what took Western nations a century or more," Huai said. "China's education modernization has entered the upper-middle ranks of the world."

Addressing domestic challenges, Huai said declining birth rates — from 16.41 million in 2002 to 7.92 million in 2025 — are reshaping the education landscape.

While kindergarten and primary school enrollment have already peaked, middle school enrollment will peak this year, followed by high school enrollment in 2029 and higher education enrollment in 2032. Regional disparities are also widening, with urban centers facing overcrowding while rural schools undergo consolidation, he said.

"To turn the 'population dividend' into a 'talent dividend', we must improve education quality and access for all," he said, calling for forward-looking planning.

Huai also outlined plans to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence across all aspects of education, including teaching, lifelong learning, governance and teacher development.

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn