Recent reports reveal that Chinese Government scholarships are helping China find better qualified recipients. China Scholarship Council, as part of the university foundation programme, Ministry of Education, administers the scholarships. The programme supports international students in pursuing a bachelor’s programme in the country.
Pre-selected candidates have to attend one-year bridging courses. This includes the Chinese language and subjects related to their studies at the universities to prepare them for four years of study in China. After this programme, candidates need to take a completion examination which tests their fluency in the Chinese language and the knowledge of their future majors. Scholarships are awarded to candidates who succeed in the above tests.
The Chinese government is giving scholarships as per the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of China and member countries to support international/overseas students pursuing their studies in the country. During the last two decades, 4,307 students from 182 countries benefitted by it.
In view of the increase in the cost of living and cost of education, Chinese government’s ministry of education and finance has increased the number of scholarships. Students will get an average of Rs. 6 lakh to 10 lakh annually, depending upon the programme. Ten Chinese universities are currently offering this programme to more than 1,000 students. The foundation examination will take place during June every year. Students can start applying from April. Major participating countries include France, India, Russia, Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Laos, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia.
Advanced manufacturing, cyber security, Internet of things, entrepreneurship, analytics, robotics, automation, health sciences, IT enabled sector, agriculture, food processing, microbiology, and so on, are some of the popular courses in Chinese universities.
With the G20 group working towards innovation-led economies by 2020, skill-oriented courses are acquiring momentum. Even though jobs in the manufacturing sectors are increasing, deficiency of appropriate skills as part of globalisation, technology and recession is affecting employment opportunities. This mismatch is motivating the industry to increase production and productivity. To bridge this gap, Chinese universities are offering skill-oriented courses at the undergraduate-level. Indian students can apply for courses in the areas of science, technology and engineering and management, and make use of the international scholarship programmes in China.
The writer is Director of Entrepreneurship, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. E-mail: tpsethu2000@gmail.com
