As a measure to implement the National Outline for Medium and Long-term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020), this Plan aims to strengthen the international exchanges between China and other countries, to advance the internationalization of education in China, to enhance its attractiveness to international students, and to further promote the development of Study in China.

1. Objectives

This Plan is to develop China into the country with the largest number of international students in Asia, to establish a comprehensive system, compatible with the overall scale and development of education in China, to produce a number of highly-qualified teachers, to build up a group of higher education institutions with distinguishing features and a number of high-standard disciplines for Study in China, and to generate a large number of graduates who both understand China and contribute to connecting China to the rest of the world.

2. Main Tasks

By the year 2020, the number of international students studying in higher education institutions, elementary and secondary schools in Mainland China shall reach 500,000, among which, the number of students enrolled in degree programmes shall reach 150,000. The Chinese government scholarships shall be gradually increased in accordance with the needs of national strategy and development. The composition of international students shall be improved and more balanced in terms of countries of origin, academic levels and types.

3. Guiding Principles

This Plan takes into consideration of scale, structure, quality and effectiveness, to promote a comprehensive, cohesive and sustainable development of Study in China so as to develop the brand name of education in China internationally.

4. Guideline

The guideline of this Plan is to expand the scale, optimize the structure, guarantee the quality and improve the management.

5. Development Strategies

With reform as the drive and systematic construction as the core, we will promote reforms in administration system, funding system, school-operation system and inner-school management system. The responsibilities of governments at all levels shall be further enhanced, and the input into Study in China shall be increased. Local planning will be developed at provincial and municipal level and categorized guidance will be provided by governments. The service mechanism and monitoring system shall be further improved. Schools, research institutions, other education institutions and social organizations with required qualifications shall be encouraged to participate in and provide education to international students in line with Chinese legislations.

6. Policies and Regulations

Consistent efforts will be made to improve policies, rules and regulations for Study in China. We will further clarify the rights, obligations and responsibilities for governments, host education institutions and international students. We will also ensure that activities related to Study in China are legitimate, scientifically-developed and properly-organized, create a favorable legal environment and establish a system and a mechanism that are conducive to the development of Study in China.

7. Management System

The Ministry of Education of P. R. China shall be in charge of the macro-administration of Study in China. In light with the principle of localized management, education departments of provincial governments shall be in charge of Study in China within their own regions. Host institutions shall be in charge of the daily administration of and service for international students abiding by relevant laws, rules and regulations.

8. Operation Mechanism

The education departments of governments at all levels are the competent authorities for Study in China within the locality. They will cooperate and coordinate with other departments at the same level in charge of foreign affairs, public security, finance, human resources and social security, health care and disease control, each performing its own function. By this means, an administrative system with reasonable clarification of duties and rights, scientific decision-making process, smooth implementation and adequate logistic support will be finally developed for governmental bodies and host education institutions.

9. Promotion

Intensified efforts will be made to promote Study in China. For this purpose, we will synergize resources at home and abroad and give full play to relevant domestic institutions, embassies and/or general consulates of P. R. China abroad, overseas Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms to promote Study in China around the world. We will also improve the official website of Study in China and the websites of host education institutions in foreign languages.

10. Recruitment and Admission

Reforms will be taken on the recruitment and admission by adopting an internationally applied flexible approach which combines material evaluation, examination and interview. On the basis of improving Foundation Programme system for international students, a benchmark for international students to enter undergraduate programmes shall be gradually established. The electronic registration system to record the status of newly-recruited international students and the degrees awarded to international students shall be strictly implemented.

11. Training Mode

The training mode for international students will be continuously innovated. Host Education institutions will be encouraged to explore actively, to launch pilot projects on a flexible studying duration for academic degree programmes, and to extend Study in China programmes abroad in various forms. Research on the feasibility of e-learning and e-training programmes for international students will be carried out.

12. Course Construction

We will try to build brand names of our courses, optimize course structure and develop a course system more attractive to international students. We will support higher education institutions to build their own brand-name programmes delivered in Chinese and to offer a certain amount of degree programmes in English. We will provide intensified support to the degree programmes with Chinese characteristics and internationally comparative advantages, to improve the international competitiveness and impact of higher education institutions.

13. Teachers Development

The development of teaching cohort for Study in China will be strengthened. As a part of the personnel development of higher education institutions, teachers’ capacity trainings including teaching in foreign languages shall be further emphasized and a performance-based assessment system shall be improved, thus making a number of outstanding teachers with academic excellence, rich experiences and caring for students the main force for Study in China.

14. Quality Assurance

A quality evaluation system for Study in China will be set up to reinforce the assessment of the condition, quality, administration and service. We will urge host education institutions to develop appropriate self-orientation and their own features in teaching. Furthermore, we will gradually identify a group of exemplary bases for Study in China.

15. Education Management

We will actively promote the convergence in management of and service for Chinese students and international students, improve the courses on Chinese laws and regulations, traditional Chinese culture and current China, and facilitate international students to acquire an objective knowledge about the social development in China.

16. Management Team

Training system for the management staff will be further improved and the training mechanism will be enhanced, so as to foster a management team that is relatively stable, dedicated, familiar with foreign affairs, and efficient in management.

17. Services for International Students

Logistic service system will also be bettered for international students. We will consistently improve the environment for Study in China, enrich campus experiences, host various cultural and sports activities, and improve the medical care and insurance systems for international students.

18. Social Practice

When condition permitting, we will facilitate the work-study programme and try to provide internship and social practice for international students. We will gradually establish an education mechanism that integrates teaching with practice, and classroom with external society.

19. Scholarship System

A steady expansion of the Chinese Government Scholarships in terms of scale will be guaranteed and reform on the monetization of scholarships will be carried out step by step. We will encourage and support local governments, education institutions, enterprises and non-governmental public institutions, other social organizations and individuals to set up scholarships for international students. A scholarship system with various sponsoring bodies and various forms of scholarships, in which government plays the main role with the participation of the society, will be finally set up in China.

20. Service for Graduates

We will strengthen the contact with international graduates and entrust relevant affiliated organizations to provide service for them. When necessary, we will establish specific bodies for this purpose. Alumni associations overseas established by international graduates will be encouraged and supported.