Among Azerbaijani youth going abroad for bachelor's education within the framework of the State Program, interest in China has noticeably increased. While in previous years the USA was one of the most chosen destinations, in recent results, China is the second most chosen country after Great Britain.
It is interesting, what are the main reasons for young people to prefer Chinese universities?
Ilgar Orujov, Doctor of Philosophy, Chairman of the Society of Young Scientists, Doctoral Students and Masters of Azerbaijan, gave a statement to AzEdu.az on the topic.
The quality of education in Chinese universities has significantly increased in recent years:
“The preference of Azerbaijani youth for Chinese universities instead of the United States of America for bachelor's education within the framework of the State Program, in fact, also coincides with global economic and technological trends. This tendency is especially evident in the rapid advancement of Chinese universities in world rankings, parallel to the country's rapid economic development. As a result, universities in the People's Republic of China have risen to second place in the list, after universities in Great Britain.
In general, the quality of education in this country has significantly increased in recent years. We clearly see this in the rapid advancement of Chinese universities in international rankings, the improvement of the image and quality of education of universities, as well as the unique career opportunities created by the knowledge, skills and competencies they provide to students. Of course, there are various factors, academic advantages and strategic dividends that condition this change and provide to young people.”
China's leadership in artificial intelligence, robotics, and 5G is one of the main reasons for this interest:
“There are several important factors influencing the increase in this interest. First of all, it is an undeniable fact that China has become one of the world leaders in artificial intelligence, robotics, and 5G technologies. At the same time, the priorities of the State Program in engineering and high technologies fully coincide with China's strengths. In general, these directions are also highly consistent with the country's national priorities.
In addition, compared to universities in the United States of America, the admission process to prestigious higher education institutions in China is more optimal and free from bureaucratic obstacles. That is, admission procedures are carried out more flexibly. This advantage is considered one of the attractive factors not only for those applying within the framework of the State Program, but also for young people applying individually outside the program.
This advantage manifests itself not only in bachelor's and master's programs, but also at the doctoral level. This is because the admission process to doctoral programs in universities in the United States of America and a number of European countries is quite complex. Chinese universities, on the other hand, offer more open opportunities for talented doctoral students. Bureaucratic obstacles in the admission process are at a minimum level and procedures are carried out more flexibly.”
Chinese universities, rapidly advancing in global rankings, in some cases even surpass prestigious US universities:
“In addition, the strict visa policy and long-term verification procedures applied by the United States of America in recent years also influence young people to turn to China, which offers more accessible visa opportunities.
I can even give an example of the thoughts of a young person who was recently admitted to a doctoral program at a university in Shanghai. According to him, the face of Chinese cities has completely changed in recent years, and young people feel this closely. This technological transformation is clearly manifested not only in universities, but also in the development of the country as a whole.
Chinese cities attract the attention of young people with their modern infrastructure and level of development. At the same time, living costs are more affordable compared to the United States of America. It is true that if we are talking about the State Program, the main expenses of the participants are covered by the state. However, young people see wider opportunities in China both in terms of education and future career.
As I mentioned, Chinese universities are rapidly advancing in global rankings and in some cases even surpass prestigious universities in the United States of America. Moreover, the pace of ascent of Chinese universities in the rankings is faster compared to US universities.”
As the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative strengthens Azerbaijan-China economic ties, the demand for specialists educated in China also increases:
“In addition, Chinese universities offer high-quality teaching programs fully in English at the bachelor's level. Students get the opportunity to conduct research in modern scientific laboratories and
