Representatives from about 600 schools from over 40 countries will be at the China National Convention Center in Beijing for this year's China Education Expo, which will happen on Oct. 25 and 26, China.org reported.
One of the purposes of the two-day expo, which is free for students and parents alike, is for officals from the foreign schools to recruit Chinese students to their institutions. Among the counties joining the tour are the United States and France, the latter being this year's guest of honor.
Zong Wa, deputy secretary-general of the China Education Association for International Exchange, said that a major happening in the upcoming expo is the use of new media. Information about all the school participants will be provided on the expo's official website and on WeChat.
Students and parents may post their questions on the website or the messaging service, and then representatives from the schools will answer them online. About 400 of the foreign schools will also conduct on-site evaluation of student aspirants.
Being that 2014 marks the golden anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between China and France, as many as 34 schools from the latter will take part in the expo. Last year, approximately 10,000 Chinese students left for France to study, and 50,00 more are projected to do the same in 2015.
Meanwhile, more than 90 schools from the U.S. will be at the exhibition. Hawaii and Pennsylvania will be sending their delegates to the tour for the first time.
This will be the first time that the education expo will be free for students and parents. In previous years, it was only students who got in without paying a fee. For the upcoming gathering, parents and students only need to register via the tour's website or WeChat to secure slots.