Understanding China
“First seek to understand, then to be understood.” Stephen Covey
China is unique compared to other countries around the world. It is important to spend time to understand how things work and are done in China with an open mind.
One of the main differences is the cultural difference in China compared to the west of: Top Down vs Bottoms up. Individual Vs Being part of the Group. This is part of the reason why Chinese students like to use agents. As Chinese students are less independent they are concerned about the risks of doing something by themselves. They like to get direction and someone to help lead them through the process.
On a macro level, In China the government plays a very important role and in understanding China it is important to study the governments directions, goals and plans. Reading translated speeches of the leadership, and state such as China Daily, Xinhua is important.
There are 4 important factors influencing the recruitment of Chinese students
- COVID-19
- US-China relationship
- Edtech Regulation
- Chinese Data Rules
COVID-19
– The first factor influencing Chinese students is COVID-19 and how can students study abroad, how safe is it? Are borders open? how is this being managed in other countries. We made a summary here about different countries and how their policies to international students. With Australia’s border closed, many students can’t study abroad.
US-China Relationship
– The relationship between these countries is an important factor. How friendly is US to Chinese students? How safe is the environment in US for Chinese students? The political discourse is something that Chinese students (and especially their parents) take into account. There has been a shift in students choosing other destinations and particularly UK and also Europe, and Canada.
Edtech Regulation
– This is a great report about the regulations here. It is unclear how this impacts the market. It may drive more Chinese students to go abroad to look for more private studying opportunities. It has also significantly hit a core service and a large portion of income of the majority of the Chinese agents which were already been damaged due to COVID-19. The agent landscape is likely to significantly change in China as a result. There is likely to be a shift to more online, specialised study abroad agents.
Chinese Personal Data Rules
There are also new rules that come into force on 1st November 2021. It is important to carefully manage how the data of Chinese students are transferred overseas and comply with local laws. It is not clear what effect this change will have on the market.
China Based Partner
Due to the unique aspects of the Chinese market, culture and online ecosystem, and the increasing regulation in education and internet is likely to further continue in the future, it is important to work with a strong local partner to help understand the rapidly developing market, local nuances, and compliance with Chinese laws.
