Abstract

The paper analyzed the current status and policy evolution of international education industry in China based on statistical data of the education market scale, source countries, education levels and study subjects. It is found that the international education in China has undergone three major stages, including the stage of “unified national management dominated by politics”, the stage of “exploration of the model for self-financed study abroad”, and the stage of “all-round open development”. The achievements of international education industry are closely related to the key policies in the 3 stages. The research shows that the scale of international education in China is basically the same as that in the developed countries but there exists a big import and export deficit since China has slightly smaller international market share. Asian and African countries are the main sending countries of international students, and students from these countries prefer to receive academic education in China than those from Europe and America. In terms of major subjects, Chinese language and literature are still the main subjects, but engineering, economics and management are becoming more popular. Finally, suggestions are made on how to further expand the international education market and optimize the international education structure in China.

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