Yunnan becomes top education destination for SE Asian students

Edited and translated by People's Daily Online

Yunnan province has so far received more than 20,000 international students, with over 60 percent from neighboring countries including Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, and India, according to the Yunnan Provincial Department of Education.

It also revealed that the number of students from neighboring countries to the province is growing rapidly.

Bordering Myanmar on the west and Laos and Vietnam on the south, Yunnan has become a top overseas education destination for students in South and Southeast Asia.

The province has received international students from more than 10 countries such as the United States, Britain, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, and established cooperative relations with educational institutions in 85 countries and regions.

In order to attract more international students, the Yunnan provincial government introduced a scholarship for international students from neighboring countries in 2004, and increased the number of international students eligible for government scholarships from 70 to 160.

In the future, the province will increase the number of international students through government funding, market measures, and other means. It plans to open enrolment offices in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, the United States and Europe, increase the proportion of high-caliber overseas students, and encourage private schools to recruit more international students.