gist
Interest in studying abroad in China increased 25 percent last year
Record number of Asian students are coming to America to study
Sixteen Marquette students have studied at the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies, hosted through Loyola Marymount University.

gist

For many students, studying abroad means trading dorm food for French baguettes or authentic Italian pasta and the weekend house party for non-stop European discos. Studying abroad is about experiencing new cultures and learning new languages, it's saying goodbye to the comforts of the American way and saying "bonjour," "hola" and "ciao" to a different country for the next five months.

But record numbers of American students are taking their passports and looking for experiences outside of traditionally popular Europe. According to the annual report by the Institute on International Education, not only is studying abroad at an all-time high, but China is emerging as a leading destination for American students.

The number of Americans taking a semester to study in China increased by 25 percent last year, according to the report, "Open Doors 2008."

Barrett McCormick, political science professor who specializes in China, called China an "increasingly important country on a global scale," adding that China has recently gained global prominence in economics, politics and even art.

"Many Americans see the Chinese economy growing very quickly," McCormick said. "It is really strategic to know something about China."

The report found China, which is competing with traditional study-abroad sites like Britain, Italy, Spain and France, is now the fifth-most-popular destination.

The most recent figures available are for the 2006-'07 academic year, in which a reported 11,064 Americans studied in China. This number represents a 25 percent increase from the 8,830 Americans studying in China in the 2005-'06 academic year.

Data goes as far back as the 1995-'96 academic year in which only 1,396 Americans studied in China. Numbers have been increasing annually since 1995, but the biggest jump was in the 2006-'07 academic year.

Blake Ward, international communications coordinator for the Office of International Education, said in the past three years, 16 Marquette students have studied at the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies. Marquette's China program is through Loyola Marymount University.

Ward said this semester was the highest turnout, with three students enrolled in the Beijing program.

"With China becoming a more dominant power economically they are in the forefront of international attention," Ward said.

Ward added that exposure from the Olympic Games in Beijing might be a contributing factor to the dramatic increase in interest in China.

"Any time a city that might be a little outside of the public view and gets that much attention — it is going to help," Ward said.

The report also cited a jump in international students coming to study in the United States. Last year, 623,805 international students came and 61 percent of them were from Asia.

Hanqing Fang is a Chinese graduate student working toward a second degree.

Fang said he came to America to "see the world outside of China," but said the application process was very difficult.

"It is very hard to apply but once you're in, it is easy to get high scores in the courses," Fang said.

He said China would be a very good place to study for Americans if they knew the language.

"It could be very interesting to learn something from China," he said. "We are a very proud people and we have done well recently in economics, and Americans can see that."

Fang said both cultures have a lot they can learn from each other and studying abroad could help.

"We are totally different cultures," he said. "We can learn more and become more sophisticated by learning about each other."