Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Chinese Government Scholarship Program: An Effective Form of Foreign Assistance?

  • Published:
International Review of Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of Chinese international education assistance through an examination of student experience in the Chinese Government Scholarship Program, an important mechanism of Chinese foreign aid. Grounded in Pascarella’s (1985) model of the impact of college on students, the study investigates participants’ level of satisfaction with their higher education experience in China and their perception of the role of the scholarship program in promoting positive relationships between China and the scholarship students’ home countries. Findings indicate that participants are generally satisfied with their experiences in China and are positive about the impact of the program in building friendships with their home countries. The authors discuss the implications of these findings in terms of China’s emerging prominence as a provider of international development assistance.

Résumé

LE PROGRAMME DE BOURSE DU GOUVERNEMENT CHINOIS: UNE FORME EFFICACE D’AIDE ÉTRANGÈRE ? - Cette Étude examine l’efficacitÉ de l’aide chinoise à l’Éducation internationale par un examen des expÉriences estudiantines dans le programme de bourse du gouvernement chinois, un mÉcanisme important d’aide chinoise aux Étrangers. FondÉ sur le modÈle de Pascarella (de 1985) de l’impact de l’universitÉ sur les Étudiants, l’Étude examine le niveau de satisfaction des participants quant à leur expÉrience de l’enseignement supÉrieur en Chine et leur perception du rôle du programme de bourse comme favorisant des rapports positifs entre la Chine et les pays d’origine des Étudiants boursiers. Les rÉsultats indiquent que les participants sont en gÉnÉral satisfaits de leur expÉrience en Chine et sont affirmatifs quant à l’impact du programme dans la mise en place d’amitiÉs avec leurs pays d’origine. Les auteurs discutent des implications de ces rÉsultats en termes de l’Éminence commençante de la Chine comme fournisseur d’aide au dÉveloppement international.

Zusammenfassung

DAS STAATLICHE CHINESISCHE STIPENTIENPROGRAMM: EINE EFFEKTIVE FORM DER AUSLANDSHILFE? – Diese Studie überprüft die Effektivität der internationalen Studienbeihilfen in China mithilfe einer Untersuchung studentischer Erfahrungen im staatlichen chinesischen Stipendienprogramm, welches einen bedeutenden Bestandteil der chinesischen Auslandshilfe darstellt. Auf der Grundlage von Pascarellas (1985) Modell des Einflusses akademischer Bildung auf Studierende untersucht die Studie den Grad der Zufriedenheit der Teilnehmer mit ihren Erfahrungen in höherer Bildung in China sowie ihre Wahrnehmung der Rolle, die das Stipendienprogramm in der Förderung positiver Beziehungen zwischen China und den Heimatländern der Studierenden spielt. Im Ergebnis zeigen sich die Studierenden generell zufrieden mit ihren Erfahrungen in China und bewerten den Einfluss des Programms auf den Aufbau von Freundschaften mit ihren Heimatländern als positiv. Die Autoren diskutieren die Implikationen dieser Ergebnisse im Zusammenhang mit der zunehmenden Bedeutung Chinas bei der Bereitstellung internationaler Entwicklungshilfen.

Abstract

¿ES EL PROGRAMA DE BECAS DEL GOBIERNO CHINO UNA FORMA EFECTIVA DE AYUDA EN EL EXTERIOR? – Este estudio investiga la eficacia de la asistencia internacional en educación de la China mediante el análisis de las experiencias hechas por estudiantes en el Programa de Becas del Gobierno Chino, un mecanismo importante de la ayuda al desarrollo prestada por este país oriental. Basado en el modelo de Pascarella (1985) sobre el impacto del college sobre los estudiantes, el estudio investiga el nivel de satisfacción de los participantes con la experiencia en estudios superiores que han hecho en la China y su percepción en cuanto al papel que juega el programa de becas en el fomento de relaciones positivas entre la China y los países de origen de los estudiantes becados. Los autores debaten sobre las implicaciones que podrán tener estos resultados en vista de la creciente importancia que está teniendo la China como proveedor de ayuda internacional al desarrollo.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beijing to Enroll More Foreign Students. 2004. Retrieved February 24, 2006, from http://www.china.org.cn/english/2004/Feb/86446.htm

  • Bezlova, Antoaneta. 2005. 50 years Later, A Powerful China Returns to Meet the Bandung Spirit. http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=28380

  • Bobiash, Donald 1992. South-South Aid: How Developing Countries Help Each Other. New York: St. Martin’s Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Theodore 1965. Government Encouragement and Control of International Education in Communist China. In: S. Fraser (ed.). Governmental Policy and International Education (pp. 111–133). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc

    Google Scholar 

  • China Daily. 2004. China Expects Influx of Foreign Students. Retrieved 14 August, 2006, from http://www.china.org.cn/english/Life/108458.htm

  • China Daily. 2005. China Lures Overseas Grads. Retrieved 14 August, 2006, from http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/129826.htm

  • China Scholarship Council. 2005. Directory of Institutions and Specialties under Chinese Government Scholarship Program. Retrieved 14 February, 2006, from http://www.csc.edu.cn/en/readarticle/readarticle.asp?articleid=405

  • Delaney, Michael. 2006. Chinese Bid to Get Overseas Fee Boost. Times Higher Education Supplement (1730), 12

    Google Scholar 

  • Foreign Students Studying in China. 2006. Retrieved 14 August, 2006, from http://www.chinagate.com.cn/english/2075.htm

  • French, Howard W. 2005. China Wages Classroom Struggle to Win Friends in Africa [Electronic Version]. New York Times, 20 November, 2005. Retrieved 20 November, 2005 from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/20/international/asia/20beijing.html?oref=login

  • Gillespie, Sandra 2001. South-South Transfer: A Study of Sino-African Exchanges. New York: Routledge

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, René 1965. The Experience of Foreign Students in China. In: S. Fraser (ed.). Governmental Policy and International Education (pp. 135–140). New York: John Wiley & Sons

    Google Scholar 

  • Guangming Daily. 2006. Beijingshi shili waiguo xuesheng yu xuezhe jiangxuejing [Beijing Set Up Scholarships for International Students and Scholars]. Retrieved 3 March, 2006, from http://www.gov.cn/banshi/2006–01/25/content_170673.htm

  • Hook, Steven 1995. National Interest and Foreign Aid. Boulder, Colo.: L. Rienner Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, Stephen. 2005. Balancing China’s Growing Influence in Latin America. Backgrounder, 1–6

  • Kalima-N’Koma, Mwange 2004. My Experience at Peking University. China Today 53(3): 32

    Google Scholar 

  • Langley Crolyn S., Jeffrey R. Breese 2005. Interacting Sojourners: A Study of Students Studying Abroad. The Social Science Journal 42: 313–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Phillip. 2001. Cross-strait Scramble for Africa: A Hidden Agenda in China-Africa Cooperation Forum [Electronic Version]. Harvard Asian Quarterly, V. Retrieved 16 November 2006 from http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~asiactr/haq/200102/0102a006.htm

  • Lulat, Y. G., and Philip G. Altbach. 1985. International Students in Comparative Perspective: Toward a Political Economy of International Study. In: Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, ed. by J. Smart, Vol. 1, 439–494. New York: Agathon Press, Inc.

  • Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. 2000. Measures of Annual Review of Chinese Government Scholarship Status. http://www.csc.edu.cn/en/readarticle/readarticle.asp?articleid=495

  • Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. n.d. International Cooperation: International Students in China. http://www.moe.edu.cn/english/international_3.htm

  • Nye, Joseph 2004. Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics. New York, NY: Public Affairs

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascarella, Ernie T 1985. College Environmental Influences on Learning and Cognitive Development: A Critical Review and Synthesis. In: J. Smart (ed.). Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research (Vol. 1). New York: Agathon Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascarella Ernie, Patrick Terenzini 1980. Predicting Freshman Persistence and Voluntary Dropout Decisions from a Theoretical Model. The Journal of Higher Education 51(1): 60–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pascarella Ernie, Patrick Terenzini 1991. How College Affects Students: Findings and Insights from Twenty Years of Research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascarella Ernie, Patrick Terenzini 2005. How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

    Google Scholar 

  • Shambaugh, David. 2005a. China’s New Diplomacy in Asia. Foreign Service Journal (May), 30–38

  • Shambaugh, David. 2005b. Rising Dragon and the American Eagle - Part I [Electronic Version]. YaleGlobal Online Retrieved 23 April, 2006 from http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=5601

  • Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. 2005. Retrieved 3 March, 2006 from http://www.shmec.gov.cn/web/news/show_article.php?article_id=19063

  • Sheppard, Jack 2004. Jack in China. China Today 53: 31

    Google Scholar 

  • Tam, Maureen 2002. University Impact on Student Growth: A Quality Measure? Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 24(2), 211–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian Zhengping, Lang Xiao, Guping Zhou (eds.). 2004. Sino-Foreign Educational Exchange History. Guangzhou, China: Guangdong Education Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Veras Daniel Bicudo, Erika Zoeller Veras 2004. Greatland. China Today 53: 30–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Qian. 2006. China sees Rising Influx of Foreign Students Retrieved 14 August, 2006, from http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Jul/174007.htm

  • Wu, Jing, and Weina Zhen. 2006. Zhongguo zhengfu mingnian jiang tigong 11,000 liuxuesheng jiangxuejin ming’e [The Chinese Government will provide 11,000 International Students with Chinese Government Scholarship Next Year]. Retrieved 16 January, 2007 from http://news.xinhuanet.com/edu/2006–12/21/content_5517742.htm

  • Zhang, Xiaohua, Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges Ministry of Education, and the People’s Republic of China News Service (ed.). 2003. Study in China. Hong Kong, China: Hong Kong China News Service Press

  • Zhang, Xiaohua 2004. “The Little UN” where the Official Language is Chinese. China Today 53: 26–29

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Lili Dong

  2. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    David W. Chapman

Authors
  1. Lili Dong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David W. Chapman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lili Dong.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dong, L., Chapman, D.W. The Chinese Government Scholarship Program: An Effective Form of Foreign Assistance?. Int Rev Educ 54, 155–173 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-007-9075-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-007-9075-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation