A new study in the United States shows that the increasing number of Chinese students studying in the U.S. has driven American colleges and universities to expand their courses, thereby bringing more educational resources to American students.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported on June local time that a non-profit institution, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, released a new study stating that the large-scale expansion of Chinese universities not only brought a large number of students studying abroad, but also had measurable impacts on American universities.

The study results show that among every 100 Chinese university graduates, about 3 to 4 go to the United States for further studies, most of whom pursue master's degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which has driven the expansion of related courses at American universities.

The study found that for every 100 additional Chinese master's students, American universities would add approximately one STEM master's program.

The report pointed out that these research findings contradict some statements by certain U.S. politicians, one typical baseless claim being that Chinese students are "crowding out" the enrollment opportunities of domestic American students.

In March this year, U.S. Vice President Vance claimed during an interview with a U.S. media outlet that "some Chinese oligarchs spend $100,000 per year" are taking up the prestigious university spots of middle-class children from the Midwest of the United States.

However, researchers pointed out that the influx of Chinese students to the United States actually helped create more degree slots, benefiting American students and other international students. They referred to this phenomenon as the "crowding-in effect."

Data show that "for every additional Chinese master's student, the average number of U.S. master's students increases by about 0.26."

This benefit is not only reflected within the campus. The study said that college towns with more Chinese students often experience faster employment growth and stronger local economies due to the economic activities brought by international students.

Dennis Simon, a researcher at the Washington-based Quincy Institute for National Affairs, said that this study is "innovative" because it reveals how China's domestic education policies have generated spillover effects internationally.

He emphasized that researchers combined Chinese university enrollment data with U.S. visa and university data to quantify how China's education policy affects across borders. "This provides valuable evidence to support the dimension of 'globalization of talent and training' in Sino-U.S. relations, demonstrating that the expansion of China's higher education benefits not only domestic development but also the U.S. higher education and local economy."

However, recently, the U.S. government has been promoting the idea of "America First," implementing a series of restrictive measures against foreign students, causing concerns among U.S. universities about the loss of foreign talents and funding shortages.

According to Reuters, in 2023, Chinese students contributed about $14.3 billion to the U.S. economy. However, the number of Chinese students dropped sharply from 370,000 to about 277,000 the following year.

In May this year, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated that the White House plans to "actively" revoke visas of Chinese citizens in sensitive research areas or those involved in government-funded projects, citing so-called national security considerations.

In August, U.S. President Trump stated that he would approve 600,000 Chinese students to study in the United States, as part of efforts to improve relations with China.

In response to Trump's remarks, Gao Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that educational exchanges and cooperation help enhance communication and understanding among people of all countries. "We hope that the U.S. will implement the statement made by President Trump welcoming Chinese students to study in the U.S., stop unjustified harassment, checks, and deportations of Chinese students, and truly protect their legitimate rights and interests."

This article is exclusive to Observer Network. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569521602111603252/

Statement: The article represents the views of its author. Please express your opinion by clicking the [Up/Down] buttons below.