After quitting her first job because of the demanding overtime requirement, Yao was stuck at home for three months from September last year under China’s strict zero-Covid policy. All she wanted to do was leave, the earlier the better, she said.
The less competitive application process for Malaysian universities was a big part of the appeal. “When nearly all the schools had closed their applications last September, Malaysia’s was still open. I didn’t even need a recommendation letter to get the offer.”
28:19
What happens when China’s most-educated can’t find work
What happens when China’s most-educated can’t find work
Yao is one of an estimated 100,000 Chinese students attending Southeast Asian universities in 2023, according to China’s education giant New Oriental.
Searches on social media platform Xiaohongshu – Little Red Book, China’s leading Instagram-like service – about studying in Malaysia have surpassed those for some non-English-speaking Western countries, such as France and Germany.
“Nearly all the Chinese students in Southeast Asia went to Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines if they are not in Singapore,” said Sang Mingze, head of the Beijing Overseas Study Service Association.
Sang said the applicants to universities in these countries, especially for postgraduate degrees, “are quite alike. They are not satisfied with their current conditions but have a limited budget”.
A closer cultural and economic connection between China and the Asean countries is giving them an edge over the traditional hotspots of the West for Chinese students, according to analysts and industry insiders.
And any less competitive environment will be much sought after by young people in China, where education is a constant battlefield to excel, they said.
While universities in the US, Britain, Singapore and Hong Kong still dominate thanks to their high rankings and reputations, entrance standards are getting higher.
Despite rising geopolitical tensions, more Chinese students are choosing to study abroad, with applications soaring by 23.4 per cent in 2022 from a year earlier, according to China’s education ministry.
What drives them is the harsh, competitive environment for young people in China as they face a dimming economic outlook and employment pressure.
In 2023, around 4.7 million students signed up to sit the national exam for the country’s postgraduate enrolment, with around 20 per cent of university graduates moving on to further education amid pressure to secure a job.
Behind the soaring numbers is the highly competitive job market for graduates in China. More than one in five people aged 16-24 in China have been unemployed since April. The release of the youth unemployment rate was discontinued in June after a six-month increase.
China is already under enormous pressure to create jobs, with a record high of 11.58 million new graduates expected to enter the job market this year.
Meanwhile most Southeast Asian universities, even those with outstanding global rankings, have more friendly admission requirements, according to Catherine Zhu, a consultant with a Beijing overseas education consulting firm.
05:09
Growing number of young people in China flock to religious temples to escape life’s pressures
Growing number of young people in China flock to religious temples to escape life’s pressures
“The top schools in Southeast Asia offer very good deals for Chinese students, with low requirements for academic records. Some graduate schools will give offers to vocational school students, even though they don’t have bachelor’s degrees,” she said.
Zhu said that studying in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries costs around 80,000 yuan (US$11,000) a year, compared to universities in Britain and Hong Kong, where a student can easily pay 300,000 yuan (US$41,000).
A PhD student at a university in the Philippines, who gave her name as Monica, is aiming for a better job when she returns to China, where she has found it increasingly difficult to land stable employment.
The 28-year-old teacher holds a master’s degree from Hong Kong majoring in teaching English to speakers of other languages but has struggled to gain entry to government or government-affiliated institutions in China.
‘I want to open my eyes’: more Chinese students join rat race to study abroad
‘I want to open my eyes’: more Chinese students join rat race to study abroad
Unless she passes a highly competitive exam, Monica has little chance of securing a highly prized contract with one of these institutions, and the “iron rice bowl” of a lifelong, stable career that goes with it. But having a doctorate will make the job easier, she said.
“Before I earned the master’s degree, these institutions did not require exams at all, but as time went on, more and more people joined the competition, so the standard [for entrance] increased a lot,” Monica said.
While China’s job market has become competitive as a whole, graduates wanting government-affiliated employment may face added pressure. As the country’s fluctuating economic conditions and mass lay-offs from private companies show no signs of ending, a job in the public sector often secures lifelong job security.
It is something that is on young people’s radar. A total of 1.52 million applicants sat this year’s national civil service exams in January, competing for just 37,100 positions – meaning that only about one in 41 could land a position, according to Xinhua.
“No one is here for academic purposes. We are here for a doctoral degree and a better job. Some people want a stable job, like me, and some want to change for a better place. There are even some associate professors who want to use this degree for new funding in their universities.”
Monica said it also appeared to be easier to complete a programme and earn a degree in Southeast Asia compared to some Western countries – another huge attraction for Chinese students, or even employers, who need a better profile.
Survey of 30 years of Chinese students in US reflects pressures, satisfaction
Survey of 30 years of Chinese students in US reflects pressures, satisfaction
Monica’s PhD programme requires three years of study – the normal duration of a master’s degree in China. As well as finishing her thesis, she needs to publish a paper in a recognised journal.
“Compared with Hong Kong or Western countries, the standard of graduation is much easier, but it doesn’t mean you don’t need to do anything,” she said.
According to Sang, some Southeast Asian schools offer very simple graduation conditions to attract Chinese students, which is drawing the attention of Chinese education authorities.
Last year, China’s Shaoyang University in the central province of Hunan was investigated for hiring dozens of teachers who graduated in the Philippines with PhDs after only two years of study.
University head fired for using US$2.7 million to rehire staff with ‘instant PhDs’
University head fired for using US$2.7 million to rehire staff with ‘instant PhDs’
Zheng Jinlian, a research director at the Centre for China and Globalisation (CCG), said closer relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – from growing economic exchanges to cultural proximity – are playing a key role in the new wave.
“China and Asean have more economic and trade exchanges than ever, and many enterprises have relocated to Asean countries with a large number of important projects for the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative,” she said.
As more Chinese investment flows into belt and road partner countries, these regions will need to attract more talent, but Southeast Asia will benefit first because of its cultural proximity to China, Zheng said.
According to the Chinese commerce ministry, Asean is China’s biggest trading partner, accounting for more than 15 per cent of its total trading volume. Multiple belt and road infrastructure projects are expanding, from Thailand through Malaysia to Indonesia.
How China is exporting education and influence to Malaysia
How China is exporting education and influence to Malaysia
Southeast Asian governments are also actively engaging with institutions in China, as demonstrated by Xiamen University’s campus in Malaysia.
Xiamen University, one of China’s most prestigious universities, was welcomed by Malaysia in 2013 when it became the first in China to open an overseas campus. In 2021, more than 6,000 students were enrolled there, with more than a third of them Chinese.
Cathay Xu, a 24-year-old senior undergraduate at Xiamen University Malaysia, treasures her time studying there.
“Even though it is also a Chinese university, the Malaysian campus is more diverse and open, with different cultures … I am also shocked by the press freedom and democracy campaign in Malaysia.”
Despite the attractions of studying in Malaysia, Xu is applying for a postgraduate programme in the US. If a student wants to be competitive, universities in Southeast Asia are hardly the final stop, Xu said.
