China's new appeal for global students
China is attracting a growing number of international students by focusing on engineering and technical training integrated with industry clusters. Local governments are supporting this by creating talent parks and vocational programs to bridge the gap between education and employment.
Why it matters
China's strategy to retain international talent in its manufacturing and tech sectors reflects a broader global competition for skilled labor.
By Wang Yangyang and Liu Yushan. Both Authors worked as CGTN journalists based in Beijing
From chip laboratories to university research teams and technology companies, a growing number of international students are looking to China for more than cultural immersion.
They are coming for research opportunities, technical training, and a pathway into global careers.
According to an official with China’s Ministry of Education, more than 380,000 international students from 191 countries and regions studied in China during the 2024 – 2025 academic year.
More telling is what they’re studying: engineering is now the most popular field among degree-seeking international students, accounting for 27.8 percent.
China also boasts 66 disciplines ranked among the world’s top 0.01 percent.
Rather than treating international students as visitors who leave after graduation, some local governments are building international talent parks offering office space, business registration support and other services to graduates.
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