BBC News: “There was a time when Chinese students who obtained higher education abroad were considered to be the most fortunate of their generation.
After graduating from elite universities in the US and Britain, they were virtually guaranteed the best career prospects upon their return.
Those students were colloquially referred to as sea turtles – returning home with the world on their backs.
But things are different now.These very students are now referred to as seaweed – washed up on the shore, with little or no prospect of finding work once they return home.
So why are foreign education qualifications not valued as highly as they once were?
“The reason employers valued them in the past has probably changed,” says the regional director of the specialist recruitment company Hays.
According to Simon Lance, the main turning point centres around speaking another language.
“Previously, studying abroad brought with it some very strong language skills,” he says.
But Chinese universities have come a long way in the past decade in the teaching of languages, and the skills obtained abroad are therefore less crucial.
Some people question whether it now makes sense to seek education abroad.
“If the expectation is that the qualification itself will automatically guarantee a high-paying job, then the answer is no,” says Mr Lance.
“But as part of a long-term career plan with a multinational company then it is a very good starting point,” he says.
However, Mr Lance also suggests any graduate studying abroad should seek work experience overseas as well.
“That would give them a much better competitive advantage when they return to China as opposed to just having the qualification itself,” he says.”
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