The World Through These Eyes

Wang Fengjuan

Reform and opening-up has inspired numerous Chinese to study abroad to discover the world.

“The world is so big， I want to have a look at it” is a saying that has recently gone viral online in China. Contrasting 40 years ago when studying abroad seemed an extravagant way of exploring the outside world， increasing numbers of Chinese students now have easier access to international education in different countries where they can also experience exotic beauty and wonder—all thanks to the reform and opening-up policy.

Sailing to the World

“When I returned to China in 1981， I didnt expect more chances to go abroad，” revealed Liu Baicheng， who headed the first group of 52 exchange scholars to be sent by the Chinese government abroad for advanced study. “However， I have now traveled abroad more than 90 times， including 20-plus visits to the United States. Indeed， reform and opening-up has provided precious opportunities for intellectuals to develop their potential to the full.”

At the end of 1978， following his historic move to resume the national college entrance examinations， Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping decided to resume sending Chinese students to study abroad. On December 26 that year， the first group of 52 selected young people including Liu Baicheng embarked on their journey away for further education， and their destination was beyond their imagination—the United States.

Memories of those days 40 years ago remain fresh for gray-haired Liu today. After examination and screening， he joined his peers in attending training organized by the government on does and donts for studying abroad as well as diplomatic protocols. For these young scholars positioned at the gate to the outside world， the informative reminders helped soothe their tensions.

“After arriving at JFK， we delivered a short statement， which was covered by dozens of media outlets，” Liu recalled. “I still clearly remember the ending sentences of the statement： The Chinese people are a great people， and so are Americans. We came here not only to study advanced science and technology of the United States， but also to cement friendship between the two peoples.” Amid the dizziness after a long-distance flight mixed with untold excitement， Liu and other scholars kicked off their U.S. stay as the first government-sponsored students studying abroad after China opened its door to the outside world.

On January 1， 1979， Liu witness the rising of the first national flag of the Peoples Republic of China at the newly-launched Chinese Embassy in the United States， which heralded a new chapter for Chinas history on the global stage. Later， on the lawn at the White House， the Chinese scholars attended a welcome meeting hosted by American First Lady Rosalynn Carter for Deng Xiaopings wife Zhuo Lin. On behalf of Deng， Ms. Zhuo encouraged the scholars to “study hard， return to China after completing program and give back to the motherland.”

U.S. school life opened a window for Liu. Surprised by the ubiquity of computers among primary school students from ordinary American families， Liu realized the growing importance of the computer and began learning the science. Today， information technology has drastically changed the world， and computers are nothing strange to Chinese kids.

Upon completion of his 18-month stint at the University of Wisconsin， Liu applied for advanced studies in material sciences and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Today， he still maintains contact with some of his mentors at MIT. As their personal friendship grows， their communications have also influenced the academia of both countries. All of the first 52 exchange scholars have made contributions in either teaching or technological research in their respective fields， not to mention seven of them who have been named academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Decoding Secret to Success

Nations vary in size， but thought sees no boundary. Instead of stereotyped experience or models， the motives that attracted Chinese people to Singapore were actually rules， thought and spirit that the country had exhibited in its development， or the secret behind its success.

Although studying abroad became a fad soon after China adopted the reform and opening-up policy， Chinese people did not look to Southeast Asia until the 1990s.

After establishing diplomatic ties in October 1990， the governments of China and Singapore launched the Singapore scholarship program to annually sponsor excellent freshmen from some of Chinas key universities to attend undergraduate programs in science and engineering at the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University （NTU）. In addition， other cooperative training programs were also made available such as the “Mayor Class” aiming at Chinese officials.

Han Fangming， founding chairman of the Charhar Institute， a non-governmental think tank on Chinas foreign policy and international relations， is one of the earliest scholars to develop a close bond with Singapore. His doctoral paper at Peking University was themed on the modernization of Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia. He has frequently traveled to Singapore to decode the secrets of the countrys healthy emergence.

Through field research， Han noticed that the Singapore government has consistently made big efforts to advance with the times， which explains why Singapore can successfully survive and thrive among powerful neighbors and competition between major countries. To further explore the root driver of Singapores fast growth， Han applied for and was awarded the NTUs Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship in 2013.

Established a decade ago， the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship is modeled after the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship. By the end of 2017， it had benefited 86 scholars including 58 from Singapore and 28 from China. In recent years， the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship Council has been targeting political and business elites under age 45 to promote mutual exchange and learning between academia of the two countries.

As an NTU alumnus， Han attended the schools 2017 graduation ceremony. In his speech titled “Staying True to Original Aspirations and Pressing Ahead，” Han encouraged Chinese students studying abroad to contribute more to the motherland. He noted that while returned overseas Chinese students actively advise on national development decision-making and serve as a vigorous force for public diplomacy， the government has provided various conduits for returned scholars to optimally contribute.

Achieving Full Potential

“Studying abroad expanded my horizons and opened up multiple channels and opportunities for China-Malaysia education cooperation，” remarked Malaysia-educated Wang Ji. “I will do my best to create more opportunities and platforms for exchanges between students of the two countries.”

It was by chance that Wang came to Malaysia in 2003 and joined Limkokwing University to major in business. While studying there， he gained a vivid understanding of Malaysia， consolidated love for his home country and settled on a career with passion—building bridges to facilitate education cooperation between China and Malaysia.

The number of Chinese students studying in Southeast Asian countries began to soar in 2006 and the figure in Malaysia has topped 12，000. This has inspired the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia to focus on measures to better protect Chinese students rights and interests and help them complete their studies with flying colors.

On March 18， 2017， the Malaysia Chinese Students Union， brainchild of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia， was formally established and Wang Ji was elected its first chairman. Consisting of a secretariat and six departments including a complaint department， the union is intended to solve problems for the Chinese students and bridge their communication with respective schools and Malaysias Ministry of Higher Education.

While abroad， Wang fostered a deeper love for the motherland. April 21， 2008 was a day he will never forget. On that day， The Beijing Olympics torch relay began its Malaysian leg at Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur， with some 2，000 Chinese students stationed around Malaysia and Singapore coming to cheer on. On behalf of Chinese students in Malaysia， Wang was a torchbearer， and for the short distance of 250 meters he ran， Wang trained dozens of times on campus.

After six years of studying， Wang stayed in Malaysia for another five years engaging in international business at Limkokwing University and then Asia Metropolitan University. These experiences gave him insight into Malaysias internationalized education and inspired him to explore potential in education cooperation between China and Malaysia. The “Twinning Programmes” education model introduced by Malaysia allows students to attain a portion of their qualifications in Malaysia before transferring to an institution in another country to complete their studies. After returning to China， Wang established the Association of Chinese Returned Students from Malaysia， which pools experience and resources to promote China-Malaysia education exchange. Since May 2016， the association has partnered with seven institutions including Yunnan University， Yunnan College of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Language， Beijing Geely University， Bohai University， China University of Mining and Technology， Xian International University and Xian University of Science and Technology， providing student exchange， postgraduate international classes and other cooperation programs.

Statistics show that over the past 40 years， more than 5 million Chinese have crossed the border to study in more than 100 countries and regions. Studying abroad has become one of the signature icons of Chinas reform and opening-up， producing a great number of talents who have made significant contributions to Chinas development.