China will offer a higher level of evaluation for foreign scholars. (Photo : Getty Images)
An education official from the government said that the screening process will enable them to choose better-qualified students. This raises the bar on student competence while studying in a Chinese university.
"After implementing the program for six years, we are seeing the government scholarship being granted to more high-quality international students," said Wang Shenggang, deputy secretary-general of the China Scholarship Council.
The scholarship council is under the Ministry of Education.
The council established the scholarship program six years ago. This program required foreign students to take bridging lessons on Chinese language and culture for them to adjust to their next four years of learning.
After a year, the students are required to take an examination to test their language proficiency and knowledge of the majors that they intend to take. Failure to pass the exam would mean losing their scholarship.
The value of the scholarship package is from 59,200 yuan to 99,800 yuan ($9,000 to $15,000) a year, depending on their major and length of study. The scholars also receive an annual stipend of 30,000 a year.
"An overwhelming majority of the students did well on the exam because they really felt motivated to study during the one-year program," Wang said.
He added, "We believe that the program, together with the exam, is a practical way to improve the overall quality of the Chinese Government Scholarship recipients."
There are currently 10 universities who are offering the scholarship program to 1,000 students annually.
Wang explained that studying in China should not be superficial. He said, "Studying and living in China, one of the most fast-developing and dynamic nations in the world, students are not content with a superficial understanding of the country."
"Apart from cultural experience, students also want to explore more places away from their campuses and they want to discover the reasons behind China's rapid development," he added.
