The UK has always been a popular destination for Chinese students. Chinese student recruitment has worked extremely well, with tens of thousands of Chinese students currently studying in the UK. There have been concerns recently that the government’s strong pledges on immigration would put off students from coming, but in fact there has been a large rise.

With more students coming, to study a wider range of degrees than ever before, now is the perfect time to revisit your Chinese student recruitment strategies.

Highest percentage of immigrants to UK are from China

Figures for 2012, published at the end of last year, have shown that China is sending more immigrants to the UK than any other country. Overtaking the previous leader, India, a total of 40,000 people came to the UK in 2012 (source: The Telegraph). One of the reasons for the increase is a higher number of Chinese students coming to the UK to study. In 2011/12, more than a quarter of the non-EU students studying the UK came from China (source: Universities UK), and there are more than 10,000 Chinese students studying in London alone (source: Study London).

Osbourne assures UK wants Chinese students to study abroad

With immigration being one of the primary focusses of the government at present, many countries were becoming concerned about how this might affect them. However, last year, during a trade mission to China, Chancellor George Osbourne made it clear that the UK will not impose a limit on the number of Chinese people coming to study or work in the UK. On top of that, he told an audience of Chinese students that he wanted more of them to come and study in Britain. This move is likely to have allayed any concerns Chinese students may have had about studying in Britain (source: Huffington Post).

Chinese students study abroad in creative subjects

Traditional subjects for Chinese students to study have always been those with practical real-world applications, such as engineering and mathematics. Now, however, a huge number of Chinese students are coming to the UK in order to study more creative degrees, such as design, film, and fashion. Art and Design is now the second most popular subject for Chinese students, with around 1,600 students. It is suggested that the presence of 7 Chinese fashion designers, who studied in London, during London Fashion Week is encouraging more Chinese people to move to the UK to study creative degrees (source: London Evening Standard).

Marketing is a key component in Chinese student recruitment strategies

In order to attract Chinese students, you need to engage with them in a way that they respond to. This involves talking to them in their own language, observing their culture, and appealing to their values. Market Me China are experts in Chinese marketing, language and culture. There may be a culture gap when dealing with China, but we are the perfect bridge. Get in touch today.

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