Chinese Students Abroad: Why They Choose the UK and How They See Their Future

This article focuses on the recent phenomenon of an increasing number of Chinese students choosing to pursue their higher education in the UK. It explores those factors shaping both the students' decision to study in the UK and their preference to eventually live and work either in China or abroad. In addition, it examines the levels of (and reasons for) the career optimism/pessimism that these students feel. Inter alia, the study finds that it is the search for a quality higher education and a desire to improve their foreign language skills that cause these students to both look abroad and specifically choose the UK for their studies. UK degrees are seen as having greater career value than Chinese degrees. The majority feel that several years of living and working abroad would be best for their career prospects. The UK, USA and Australia are seen as the top three expatriation destinations. Finally, when considering their careers, more are optimistic than are pessimistic, especially the female students.