Ready to study in China? Find out more about
life in some of China’s major student cities…
Beijing
Beijing is one of the most populous cities in
the world, home to over 21 million people. With plenty of nightspots and
cultural attractions to choose from, international students certainly won’t
have any difficulty finding opportunities to become immersed in local culture
while practicing their Mandarin. For those not fluent in the language, many
signs are written in English.
Out of the 39 Chinese
institutions featured in the QS World University Rankings 2018,
nine are based in Beijing, the Chinese capital. The highest ranked university
in Beijing is Tsinghua University (ranked 25th in the
world) which offers a selection of master’s programs in English,
while Peking University is second (joint 38th in the world)
and aims to increase the number of programs taught in English in order to
attract more international students. The university is also accepting more
students through the Confucius Institute Scholarship Program, which aims to
promote Chinese language and culture around the world.
Shanghai
Although Shanghai is considered the most expensive Chinese city to
live in, this also means it’s where many of the jobs are, which may make it
attractive for those hoping to find a part-time job during studies, or
full-time employment after graduation.
Homesick international students in Shanghai
can visit one of the “copycat” towns in the suburbs around the city to get a
fix of their own culture. These include Spanish, British, Scandinavian,
Canadian, Dutch, Italian and German settlements. Perhaps the best known is
Thames Town, an eerily quiet English replica complete with cobbled streets, old
English pubs and a statue of Sir Winston Churchill… all labeled with Chinese
signs.
The three top universities in Shanghai to feature in this year’s rankings are: Fudan University (ranked 40th); Shanghai Jiao Tong University (62nd); and Tongji University (joint 316th). The first two are
in the C9 league of elite universities, indicating that China’s ambition of
creating something like a US Ivy League is showing results.
Xi'an
Xi'an is one of the oldest cities in China,
with enough precious relics and historical sites to keep history devotees happy
throughout their studies. One of the most famous and impressive sites is the
Terracotta Warriors, which were made to be buried with the First Emperor Qin
Shihuang, so they could serve him in the afterlife.
Universities in
Xi’an include Xi'an Jiaotong University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Northwest University, and Xian
International Studies University, all of which have focused on establishing
international relations with other institutions worldwide.
Shandong
The hometown of
Confucius now has a population of 91 million, and plenty going on all year
round, including festivals, opera, arts and crafts. The Shandong style of
cuisine is also generally accepted as the most popular in
China. Universities in Shandong include Shandong University, one of the largest in China. Others are the Ocean University of China, Shandong Jianzhu University, Shandong Normal University and
the University of Jinan.
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