Nanjing is seeing an increasing number of its students leave the comfort of home to complete their academic degrees abroad. Simultaneously, more and more foreign students are also choosing Nanjing as their destination for overseas study.
Data show that more than 10,000 foreign students came to Nanjing to study in recent years. The number of foreign students on a short-term exchange program in Nanjing also hit the 10,000 mark. Moreover, the number is soaring by 15 percent to 20 percent year on year. Foreign students in the city’s 52 educational and research institutions have increased not only in number, but also in the variety of their chosen majors; the subjects being studied by foreigners now range from traditional Chinese medicine, sinology and science to engineering and the liberal arts.
In early September 2014, Nanjing public security handled foreign visa procedures 1,408 times which suggests an increase of 40.2 percent since last year. Up until now there have been 10,778 foreign students in Nanjing studying for a diploma; an increase of 25 percent year on year. When also taking foreign students on short-term training or exchange programs into account, this figure exceeds 20,000.
The educational quality and professional training capabilities of Nanjing’s universities continue to improve; one of many reasons why foreign students choose to study in China’s Ancient Capital.