Foreign student numbers for 2008/2009 dropping?

[roddy]

This is basically second / third hand information, but I've been told that a number of Beijing universities are seeing a significant drop in applications from foreign students for academic year 08/09, and are expecting to start the next semester with maybe half as many students as last year.

Is there anyone out there who has heard anything similar, or is involved in recruitment? I was told it was due to the tightening of visa rules, but that doesn't make sense to me as the universities are still issuing the proper documentation. I'm more inclined to put it down (if indeed there actually turns out to be such a drop in student numbers) to the disorder in Tibet and subsequent protests in mainland China making the country seem a less attractive option - sure, it's no good reason not to come, but to someone with a few options to chose from, and needing to make a decision before knowing how things will pan out over the coming months, it might make the difference.

Anyone else heard any gossip

[self-taught-mba]

Yep, heard lot's of gossip.

[adrianlondon]

I'd put it down to perceived visa issues and the fact most Universities are still rubbish at processing individual applications, so instead of turning up and winging it people just aren't bothering.

Maybe some large exchanges will get cancelled as otherwise it'll be published that they "support the commies" or something like that in some pro-xinjiang/tibet article.

[cdn_in_bj]

but to someone with a few options to chose from, and needing to make a decision before knowing how things will pan out over the coming months, it might make the difference

Roddy you're not thinking of leaving, are you??

[Lu]

This is nothing to go by, but on Forumosa I recently saw two different people who basically said: I was going to study in China, but with the Olympic visa trouble I'm now going to Taiwan. Seeing that it dawned on me that they are probably not the only ones who changed their direction. I wonder what the recruiting numbers for Taiwanese unis and language schools are for the coming year.

[imron]

Oh the irony.

[self-taught-mba]

We had more than one potential customer that just gave up and said screw it I'm going to Taipei.

[roddy]

Yeah, private schools must surely be hurting. Although if these visa restrictions aren't being applied so strictly in Japan and Korea that might ease the pain somewhat.

What have you heard from state universities, STM?

[nomad]

I can't see it myself, we have 3 international exchanges taking place this summer at BNU (possibly more). 2 weeks ago a group of American students (Emory?) arrived at my uni for a summer program. On Sunday a group of American HS students from California will show up and on July 14th another group will arrive.

[andrewkooi]

One also needs to note that some Universities in Taiwan are no better off. For example, at the present language center I am studying, I have been informed that there are only about 15 new students this Quarter (Spring Quarter - Taiwan Language Centers generally follow a Quarterly system) and from contacts with present students, at least 5 students who had studied in Taipei have left to go to China.

I do not know about people in other countries but in many Asian countries (Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, etc.) visa application is quite a 麻má 煩fán （麻烦） experience. My experience has been not so great either.

I'm a Malaysian and I am able to enter Taipei for Mandarin studies only with a Visitor Visa. Before you can apply for a Visitor Visa, you are required to go for a Medical Checkup first at your home country. Besides this, you need to ensure that you have at least USD$2,500 in your bank account for your expenditure in Taiwan. The Visitor Visa itself costs about USD$50, and is valid for only 2 months. If you wish to study in Taipei for 1 year, for instance, you are required to renew the Visitor Visa for another 2 months. You would need to renew this visa at least twice (FOC for renewals), before you are permitted to apply for a Resident Visa (which is 4 months since you entered Taiwan).

Prior to applying for a Resident Visa, you are required to go for a second Medical Checkup (this time in an approved hospital in Taiwan). This Medical checkup costs about USD$20 for men and about USD$35 for women (seems that there is more to check on the ladies ). Besides this, you need to ensure that you still have at least USD$2,500 in your bank account for your expenditure in Taiwan. Resident Visa costs about USD$155 if you hold a US passport, and about USD$90 for other passports.

After you get your Resident Visa, you are required within 15 days to apply and obtain an Alien Resident Certificate (known as ARC, which is valid for 3 months - this means you need to renew every 3 months, following the Language Center Quarterly system). The ARC costs about USD$30 per year.

So, if you want to come to Taiwan to study Mandarin, you would need to:

• Make several trips back and forth the Immigration Center for Visa Application and Renewal
  
• Pay a total sum of about USD$255 for US guys, USD$280 for US ladies, USD$190 for guys from other countris, or USD$205 for ladies from other countries
  

I have not even mentioned about the cost of tuition and cost of living in Taipei, which I believe to be much more compared to several parts of China.

[Shadowdh]

Surely economics have a large part to play in this as well as perceived visa issues?? I mean prices are rocketing due to exchange rate fluctuations (eg the £ was worth 15 yuan about a year ago now its a little over 8 (at least in the UK at some banks... I have heard you can get 9 at others)... this racks up the cost of living and expenses something chronic... add that to the fact that mum and dad or for those of you who work and are self funded, have doubts about future financial security you get a downturn... course I could be blowing some wind here...

[adrianlondon]

That only affects people from Zimbabwe, Iceland and the UK

[andrewkooi]

I quite agree with Shadowdh that Economics plays a part. On the other hand, I feel that some of the policies imposed by the Taiwan immigration on students is raher unfriendly-like.

I have been to several countries for studies or work, and Taiwan is the first country I have known so far which makes Visa application and renewal so dreadfully expensive and a hassle. It seems to me as if Taiwan is not so enthusiatic about having foreign students in the country. From my experience, I never had such complexity or cost when I was studying in Singapore (I got a student pass valid annually) and Australia (my Visa was valid for 2 years, the entire duration of my course).

[Bedan Adjuster]

I thought Taiwan is better than China in most aspects.

[simonlaing]

I wonder if it is being affected by the news from abroad. There were a bunch of articles about factories in Guangdong going out of business. Also with the issues China had last year , the earthquake, blizzard, Tibet adding to the impression that the economy is going down in China like the rest of the world tis could be having an effect.

Also I read articles about university students choosing to go to school closer to home and to live at home and commute to their university to save on living costs of going to university.

Staying closer to home might also affect the study abroad programs. Make sense?

There were a sizeable amount of students that came for the first semester and were going to stay the whole year but went back in the second semester in Nanjing it seems.

[roddy]

Was speaking to someone from one of Beijing's universities yeterday, who reckoned numbers are definitely down. There's also a list of about twenty nationalities, mostly Middle East / African, which universities should 尽量 not accept, which isn't helping.