Kathy Han

　　"The educational standard in the U.S. is widely recognized as one of the highest in the world," Chu says. "American institutions have distinguished professors, state-of-the-art facilities, and they offer plenty of scholarships."

　　Nevertheless, stiff student visa restrictions and time-consuming qualifying tests for students hoping to enter universities in the U.S. have made students look elsewhere to advance their studies. The U.S.-based newspaper China Press recently ran a report on postgraduate study in the States, which showed that student enrollment from China in 90 percent of American universities fell by an average of 32 percent this year. At Princeton's Science and Engineering schools, the number of Chinese applicants plunged by half. New York University also reported a 50 percent drop in Chinese students.

　　The opposite trend is true in many other countries. Canadian research institutes have reported a marked increase in postgraduate applicants from China. Britain used to be accessible only to wealthier Chinese students because of relatively costly tuition and living expenses, but with fewer scholarships being offered by U.S. institutions, an advanced degree from the U.K. is becoming a popular deal. In 2003, 43 percent more Chinese students - about 6,000 overall - chose to further their education in England, compared to the year before. Lower-cost European countries like Germany, France and Russia, as well as Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea have also become popular alternatives.

　　Last year, only one tenth of the 125,000 overseas Chinese students had scholarships to support their studies. The majority depended on family to sponsor their education overseas. For a year-long advanced degree, students can invest as much as 200,000 yuan. To support themselves, they earn extra money as research and teaching assistants or take on part-time work outside the campus. "I did part-time work as a radio announcer for a Chinese radio program in Australia. Other times, I waited at restaurants," says Chu.

　　The profile of overseas Chinese students is evolving. Previously, they pursued mainly courses in science and technology - a tradition that went back all the way to the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911). Scholarships - and jobs - were easier to come by if students were pursuing certain courses like mathematics, economics, physics, chemistry and engineering. Chinese students, in particular those from modest backgrounds, had little chance to finance themselves unless they received scholarships. Naturally, they took degrees in these disciplines.

　　In recent years, however, there are more opportunities in previously closed sectors. More students are moving away from the conventional courses, and taking up advanced degrees in the humanities, media and communications, and the hospitality industry, for example.

　　For now, many students feel that China is unable to offer them the kind of education they need to be internationally competitive. "My goal is to become a professional media manager. A successful one needs rich work experience and superior management strategies and methods," says Qiu Yuanyuan, 27, a former television anchor who leapt at a chance for a full scholarship to earn a master's degree in Media Management from the University of Stirling in the U.K. China's universities lacked a specialist course focused on media management, Qiu says. She also felt there was no way she could get the international perspective of the media industry she will need for her future work if she stayed in China to study.