More scholarships for Latin American students

By Wang Ying (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-19 07:45

The Chinese government will provide more scholarships to students from Latin America, an official of the Ministry of Education said yesterday.

The ministry will increase the number of bursaries extended to students from countries of Latin America and other developing nations in the next few years, Zhao Lingshan, the ministry's official in charge of foreign students' study in China, told China Daily.

"The scholarship policy adjustment was based on Premier Wen Jiabao's promise of adding 10,000 more government scholarships to students from developing countries within five years at the United Nations Millennium Development Goals conference on Sept 25," Zhao said.

The grants will provide each student with free education and accommodation, plus a monthly bonus between 800 yuan ($120) and 1,400 yuan, he said.

In 2007, a total of 2,930 students from Latin America studied in China, including 652 on Chinese government scholarships, statistics from the ministry show.

Chinese language, traditional Chinese medicine, international trade, international relations and medicine were their favorite subjects.

Charlas Chang, 22, a student from Venezuela, has studied traditional Chinese medicine at the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the past two years and will spend another three completing a medical bachelor's degree.

"I had heard about traditional Chinese medicine when I was a kid and I was attracted by its amazing effects and unique theories," he told China Daily.

By the end of October, Chinese students studying in Latin American countries reached 2,340, including 1,819 people studying in Cuba, latest statistics from the ministry showed.

Yang Zhuo, a graduate student at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, studied Spanish in Cuba as an exchange student for a year in 2006.

"Cuba has a splendid culture and its traditional music and dancing is really attractive to me," Yang said.

China has launched policies to attract more overseas students in the hope of promoting student exchanges, Zhao said.

This year, authorities will increase the number of scholarships for foreign students to attract more seeking advanced degrees.

The number of foreign students in China has grown by an average of 3,000 annually in recent years.

The increase is mainly attributed to the country's political and social stability, rapid economic development and rising international status, Zhao said.

Moreover, "the country's improved quality of higher education has received worldwide recognition", Zhao said.

(China Daily 11/19/2008 page6)