The top Chinese universities for international students include Tsinghua, Peking, Fudan, Shanghai Jiao Tong, Zhejiang, and USTC, offering extensive programs, scholarships, and support services.
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Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University is the most attractive university for international students from all parts of the globe. Based in the heart of Beijing, one of the development leaders in most aspects, and combined with a strict environment, with the stunning campus and the comprehensive range of programs, the university is the best place to work on your degree in China. The university encourages international students to engage in its Global Scholar Program and conduct English-taught classes working on their knowledge in various disciplines. Tsinghua is part of the list of the international universities and research institutions – more than two hundred in the world – one can collaborate with. The university has a range of student-run organizations and clubs – more than 110 – highly valuable for international students aiming to improve their cultural background. The International Students Association – considered one of the most influential organizations in Tsingua – includes organizing cultural exchange activities held regularly. Tech clubs at the university tend to perform better in international competitions and frequently ranked first or following the finalists. The two strongest distinguishing sides of the university is the accessibility for international students and an immense number of scholarships provided by the university at all levels, including. The availability of the orientation program, support in passing the Mandarin course and the subject telling are worth mentioning, as they considerably ease the entry barriers and adjust students to the best needed.
I in general assume that the time spent with Tsingua will be the most enjoyable one in my life. Being one of the most rapidly growing and at the same time one of the oldest cities in the word, Beijing is the most diversity vibrant and the convenient place to work on a degree. During the first months, I am planning to see and touch more of the cultural university landmarks: Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. Later on, Beijing, which has currently reached its peak – in contemporary arts and technologies – significant sources to examine more closely. In terms of the budget expenses, Tsinghua itself provides a variety of available scholarships that cover not only the tuition of the studying but also the housing issues and a stipend. The Tsinghua University Scholarship generally includes the full-tuition up to 40,000 RMB and the living allowance up to 1,600 RMB per month.
Peking University
Peking University in the Chinese capital Beijing is a truly attractive place for international students who are not afraid to plunge into Chinese culture and top-tier education. The school has been developing particularly strong programs in the humanities and social sciences, although in the recent years, it has been expanding its expertise in the information technology and natural science areas. The school’s campus, which is a combination of the authentic Chinese architecture and modern facilities, is notable for a relaxed atmosphere that seems to stimulate the students’ thirst for knowledge. The medical services of the Peking University International Hospital, which are provided by English-speaking professionals, empower the international students to feel safe and confident with the health support of the school.
Academically, one of the most appealing features or the university is the Yuanpei Program, which is a new type of liberal arts institution where students do not major in any particular profession. Instead, this program allows students to take any courses they choose, which is a heaven-sent opportunity for students who do not want restrains put on their academic interests. As a liberal arts student at Peking University, I have mostly structured my studies around business, history, and law courses, which, to my great surprise, can easily be combined irrespective of the student’s major. Since at Peking University, I strive to develop a broad understanding of the world around me, the school’s Chinese department, which enrolls more than 2,000 international students every year, seems to be the greatest gel that stimulates studying all day and night long. The best way to learn the Chinese is by taking the Peking University’s Chinese program, which is one of the best in China. Last but not least, with the scholarship provided by Peking University, which is a component of the Chinese Government Scholarship, students receive 45,000 RMB annually in tuition, which liberates students from the financial fears for education that have been the lot of most of the students. This scholarship also includes 3,000 RMB monthly stipend.
Personally, I believe that the best way to perfect students’ communication skills and learn about Chinese culture is by joining the Peking University Debating Society, which is one of the best in China and which actively participates in the national and international competitions, winning the award.
Fudan University
Fudan University in Shanghai is known to be a great starting point for international students, as it is famous for its English-taught programs in the humanities, natural sciences, and especially, its business school. The English-taught program is also functionally essential for international students, who might have not yet reached proficiency in Mandarin, the official language. The subjects in which there is a demand for English-taught programs are also among those in which Fudan University is internationally best known – international relations and global business.
The university runs a “Buddy Program” in which it assigns Chinese students as a buddy to the new international students. The buddy plays the role of an intercultural coordinator and helps students from overseas navigate the basics of life in China. This ranges from setting up a WeChat pay and the first Chinese bank account to buying daily life products in Shanghai and commuting through the city using the local transportation systems.
Fudan University campus is among the most modern and has many facilities to offer, such as modern research labs and a multi-million research equipment, central library, and well-organized sports facilities. For extracurricular activities, the university offers various clubs and societies – sport, photography, robotics, and many more activities are thus supported. The modern campus also reflects the modern university’s approach to student life. Fudan University also offers financial support to international students. Fudan University Scholarships are in the form of programs which cover tuition fees for the selected students, which can cost as much as 80,000 RMB a year for a master’s program. They also include a monthly stipend.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University is one of the most reputable higher educational institutions in this vibrant and dynamic city. In fact, this educational institution attracts thousands of international students every year since it is truly unique in many respects. For instance, this university offers a blend of robust academic programs and innovative research. The fields in which this university outperforms other schools are primarily engineering, business, and biotechnology. The most outstanding characteristic of this school is the approach that its Advanced Engineering program adopts to train novices in this discipline.
The school actively works with some of the leading global industries. This means that while doing research, students get to experience real-life problems which they need to solve; this offers them experience of working in the field. Moreover, it ensures that when people graduate and look for a job, they are already conditioned to the demands of the global job market; thus, their employability is greatly improved.
Another reason why international students should definitely opt for this school is its comprehensive network of support services. An important part of that system is the school’s Career Services Center; here, students can attend workshops on writing a resume and getting prepared for a job interview. Additionally, the center regularly runs job fairs, which are attended by international companies that are looking for fresh talent with a global perspective. If students want to start their own businesses, they can get valuable mentorship and guidance from the SJTU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, which has already incubated more than 100 regional startups that have later become successful in the market.
In financial terms, this school is also very supportive as it offers scholarships for international students. These scholarships cover tuition fees, which range from 28,000 to 45,000RMB a year, depending on the program. Furthermore, each award includes a monthly stipend to cover additional expenses students might have to face while living in Shanghai.
Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University is one of the most prominent colleges in Hangzhou, a beautiful Chinese city. The university is well-known for its international programs and an outstanding campus. From an academic standpoint, it is most famous for its engineering and technology-related programs as well as its biomedical science degrees. Due to a high quality of education, many students from abroad come to Zhejiang University to study and get an excellent degree in a relatively young but innovative and rapidly developing system.
Financially, the university actively supports its diversity in the student body, incorporating tailored programs and providing full guidance and on-campus support. One of the many great services is the Peer Assisted Study Sessions program which helps students with both personal and academic development. Mentors are usually the faculty members with vast experience in the field, some of them are international professionals. As for academic experience, Zhejiang is successful in carrying out several programs in cooperation with the University of Illinois and Imperial College of London, and others. Typically, these are dual-degree programs, allowing students to complete part of their education at two universities, significantly enhancing global networking opportunities.
Practical activity is crucial for every specialist, and Zhejiang University is actively hosting annual innovation competitions on-campus. These events are generally held by the states and governors and include catching the spear to the time of realization of the promoted innovative project. The catch is that a project is an actual solution to one of the industry’s most complicated tasks. Subject matter specialists from relevant companies run discussions and evaluate the best projects. Worth mentioning, cash prizes for winners are colossal – the total prize fund in 2019 competitions rose to a hundred thousand RMB. Financially, international students are supported by the scholarships given by Zhejiang University – the Chinese Government Scholarship covers everything starting with tuition within a year, which is 30,000 RMB and 2,500 RMB for living expenses.
University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)
University of Science and Technology of China, placed in Hefei, is a wonderful university for a keen interest on sciences and technology. This academic institution which forms a part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, offers an environment, which is both strict and rewarding for international students.
Research is another area of innovation attracting more and more students to the USTC. This university shelters a number of the country’s national labs and specialized research institutions in the spheres of quantum information, advanced materials or space science. Students can thus work in innovating fields of science and develop projects with pioneering researchers.
From a social point of view, the international students are privileged. The university’s financial aid provides various types of scholarships in order to help students with their studies and to cover a part of their living expenses. In fact, the USTC Scholarship may cover up to 34,000 RMB to 40,000 RMB of a student’s tuition, while also covering about 2,500 RMB monthly. In addition to that, the scholarship program proposes the “Study Buddy” program, which aims at pairing a new student with a local one. This Chinese student has already experienced one semester at the USTC and is there to help the foreign student with their everyday life. From communication to shopping, from culture adaptation to language barriers, the “Study Buddy” is a very useful program for the students arriving in a new country they know hardly nothing about.
Located in Hefei, students are in a smaller city of China, making their stay both social and educative easier in comparison to bigger cities. However, Hefei is modern and active enough in sciences and technology due to the presence of many high-tech companies. Being a peaceful city, Hefei is the perfect training ground for foreigners to discover the Chinese way of life and is also an economically well-chosen base since living expenses in Hefei are cheaper than in the country’s metropolises.