Study and Explore in China to Expand Your Horizon

Monday 25 July 2016

QS Top 10 Universities in China in 2016

The latest results of the QS University Rankings: BRICS sees Chinese universities making up over a third of the 250 institutions now featured. The BRICS ranking aims to showcase the best universities in the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. China is a consistently strong contender in this ranking, reflecting the country’s investment in higher education and research, and now boasts 86 entrants, including uninterrupted dominance of the top five.

Read on for an overview of the 10 top universities in China this year, with information on how each institution also performed in the recently released QS University Rankings: Asia 2016 and the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016.

1. Tsinghua University

Tsinghua University has now retained its position as the highest ranked university in the BRICS countries for three years in a row, and is also the top performing Chinese university in the University Rankings: Asia 2016, at 5th place (up from 11th last year). Tsinghua University was founded in 1911 and now has 46,200 students enrolled in 20 schools. Located in capital city Beijing, it’s a member of the prestigious C9 League (the Chinese equivalent of the US Ivy League).

Tsinghua University also fares well in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016, appearing among the world’s best for 33 out of a possible 42 subjects, and claiming top 50 positions for architecture, every branch of engineering (including the new mineral and mining engineering ranking), chemistry, computer science, law, art and design, politics, mathematics, modern languages and more.

2. Peking University

Peking University is also located in Beijing and retains its position at second place among the top universities in China and in the BRICS ranking. Also ranked 9th in the Asia ranking, Peking University was originally founded in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking, and has since gained a reputation as one of the most prominent research universities in China. It has maintained a partnership with Germany’s Freie Universität Berlin since 1981 and welcomes a high number of international students every year. Peking University’s campus, known as "Yan Yuan" (the garden of Yan) is celebrated for its beauty and traditional Chinese architecture.

Ranked as one of the world’s best in 36 subjects in the 2016 subject rankings, Peking claims 26 top 50 positions, including modern languages, chemistry, dentistry, mineral and mining engineering, law, computer science, mechanical engineering, art and design, and mathematics.

3. Fudan University

Retaining its position at 3rd in the BRICS ranking, Fudan University also features at 11th in the Asia ranking (climbing from 16th last year). It’s a member of the C9 League and Universitas 21, an international network of research universities, and is located in Shanghai, China’s largest city. Fudan University was founded in 1905 as Fudan Public School and now has around 31,000 students enrolled in 17 schools. The university has 77 research institutes and 10 teaching hospitals, and is also associated with the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art (an independent subsidiary).

Internationally ranked for 26 subjects, Fudan University is featured within the top 50 for politics, chemistry, modern languages and materials sciences.

4. University of Science and Technology of China

Having shared 6th place with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in last year’s BRICS ranking, the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) climbs two places to rank 4th this year. Placed 25th in the Asia rankings, USTC is led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and was founded in 1958 to meet the science and technology needs of the country and increase its global competitiveness. Located in the city of Hefei, its campuses span 360 acres, and the university was the first in China to establish a graduate school.

The University of Science and Technology of China is featured among the world’s best for 12 subjects in 2016, most of which are (unsurprisingly) science subjects. It achieves its highest positions for chemistry and materials sciences.

5. Shanghai Jiao Tong University

The next of our top universities in China is Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which concludes the set of five continuous Chinese universities in the top five of the BRICS ranking, and also places 22nd in the latest Asia ranking. It was founded in 1896 and now teaches around 37,500 students, of which 1,700 come from outside China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University offers 63 undergraduate programs, 250 master’s programs and 28 postdoctoral programs.

It boasts 25 positions in the 2016 subject rankings, including places within the global top 50 for computer science, chemical engineering, civil and structural engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, materials sciences, art and design and business and management.

6. Nanjing University

Retaining its position at 8th in the BRICS ranking, Nanjing University is also ranked 23rd in Asia this year. It was founded in 1902 but can trace its early establishments back as far as 258 AD, and now has about 30,000 students enrolled across two campuses, which each span nearly 600 acres. A member of the prestigious Yangtze Delta Universities Alliance, it’s located in Nanjing in eastern China, the ancient capital of the country for various periods, which holds a significant place in Chinese history and culture.

Nanjing University is ranked internationally for 23 subjects, including a place in the global top 100 for chemistry, Earth and marine sciences, materials sciences and architecture.

7. Zhejiang University

Zhejiang University is the final of these top universities in China to make the top 10 in the BRICS ranking, climbing two places this year to be ranked 9th in BRICS. Also ranked 24th in Asia, Zhejiang (sometimes known as Zheda) is another member of the C9 League and the Yangtze Delta Alliance. It was founded in 1897 in the city of Hangzhou and now has one of the largest academic libraries amongst Chinese universities, as well as a total enrolment of 47,339 students, over 5,800 of which come from outside China.

Zhejiang University is ranked among the world’s best for 24 subjects, placing in the world’s top 50 for chemical engineering and the top 100 for nine other subjects.

8. Beijing Normal University

Heading back to Beijing for the next of our top universities in China, Beijing Normal University is ranked 11th in BRICS and 40th in Asia this year. Colloquially known as Beishida, the university’s name reflects its legacy as a former unit of the Imperial University of Peking which was devoted to training schoolteachers. It’s home to a wide range of research centers and laboratories, as well a six-hectare ‘Science Park’, and currently has about 22,000 students enrolled, including 1,800 international students.

Beijing Normal University is included in 16 of the 2016 subject rankings, appearing in the top 100 for education and training, linguistics, modern languages, and social policy and administration.

9. Wuhan University

Climbing one place from last year, Wuhan University is ranked 16th in the BRICS ranking this year, and 44th in Asia. Located in the city of Wuhan, capital of the Hubei province and the most populous city in central China, the university is administered by the Ministry of Education in China and was founded in 1893. Wuhan University’s elegant and palatial architecture and blend of Eastern and Western styles has led to the campus being called the most beautiful in China.

Not just a pretty sight, Wuhan University is also one of the most prestigious Chinese universities, appearing 15 times in the latest rankings by subject, with a position in the top 100 for philosophy.

10. Tongji University

The final of our 10 top universities in China is Tongji University, which made a leap from 26th to 17th in the BRICS ranking and is also 53rd in the Asia ranking. Tongji University was originally established as Tongji German Medical School in 1907, becoming a state university 20 years later. It now teaches around 36,600 students, of which 2,200 are from outside China.

An engineering-intensive university, Tongji University is especially renowned for its architecture and engineering programs, and this is reflected in the subject rankings. Of the nine subjects in which it’s internationally ranked, Tongji is in the global top 50 for architecture, civil and structural engineering, and art and design.

Link - QS University Rankings: BRICS

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Explore in China - Amazing Twilight View in Burqin

Burqin (布尔津县), located on the top tip of the Chinese map, is the only small county in west China that borders with Russia, Kazakstan and Mongolia. It is located at the southwest foot of Altay Mountains and the northern edge of Junggar Basin. It gets its name from the Burqin River, which flows into the Erqis River. Erqis River is the only one flows towards the west, discharging itself into the Arctic Ocean.

In the Western Han Dynasty (206BC – 24AD), this county was the pasture land of the Huns. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was under the control of Turkic.

The county is sparsely populated; there are only about eight people per square kilometer.

The name of Burqin means a person who herds camels. Few people may know Burqin, but speaking of Kanas, everyone knows about it. What people also do not know is how breathtaking the dusk of Burqin can be. -Photos/People's Daily Online

Tajik People Living on Pamirs Plateau

Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County (sometimes spelled Tashkorgan, Taxkorgan, Taj Qurghan, etc.) is one of the counties of Kashgar Prefecture in western Xinjiang, China.

Tashkurgan County is located in the eastern part of the Pamir Plateau, where the Kunlun, Karakoram, Hindukush and Tian Shan mountains come together, at the borders with Afghanistan (Wakhan Corridor), Tajikistan (Gorno-Badakhshan Province) and Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan). The county seat is Tashkurgan Town.

During the Han dynasty, Tashkurgan was known as Puli (蒲犁); during the Tang dynasty, it was a protectorate of the Parthians, during the Yuan dynasty it was part of the Chaghatai empire. Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County was created in 1954 and is part of the district of Kashgar.

Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County on the Pamirs Plateau is one of the four stone cities of the world.

Tajik is a general designation for a wide range of Persian-speaking people of Iranian origin, with traditional homelands in present-day Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Tajik people, one of China’s ethnic minorities, lives there.

The Tajik nationality in China speaks two distinct languages: Sarikoli and Wakhi. The Tajik are probably the one group in China most unlike the Han Chinese. They are a Caucasian people with light skin. Many have green or blue eyes and fair hair. They speak a Persian (Iranian) language which is part of the Indo-European language group. The term Tajik is applied to various Iranianspeaking groups of Central Asia in differing ways.

Three quarters of China's Tajiks speak Sarikoli. It is described as "a language entirely different from the majority language spoken in Tajikistan."

The Tajik in China do not have their own written script, but some use the Uygur orthography. The two Tajik languages in China are reportedly different enough that speakers from each group must use Uygur to communicate.

The Tajik people in China still maintain a simple and traditional lifestyle. Below are photos about their life in Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County (Photos/www.81.cn) - en.people.cn

More Chinese Restaurants in US than McDonald's Stores Worldwide

Experts estimate that there are more than 40,000 Chinese restaurants in the US now, a number that outstrips the total number of McDonald’s outlets in the world, estimated at 36,000.

The menu for the Port Arthur restaurant in New York, circa 1920s. Source: coolculinaria.com

Chinese food has been around in the US since the mid-1800s, when a huge influx of Chinese immigrants came to California during the Gold Rush.

The newcomers started opening restaurants and eventually began settling elsewhere thanks to the railroad expansion. That resulted in the establishment of Chinatowns all over the place.

For decades, Chinese food was considered exotic and available only if you ventured to a predominantly Chinese neighborhood. But today, you can walk almost anywhere in the US and you're likely to come across not just one, but multiple Chinese restaurants.

More Chinese restaurants in US than McDonald’s stores worldwide

Yong Chen, Authur of the book “Chop Suey, USA: The Story of Chinese Food In America,” found that the reason for the growth of Chinese restaurants in the US primarily economic and not culinary.

As wages rose in the early 20th century, Chen found that the middle class wanted the same perks as the wealthy – including the privilege of eating food cooked by others.

Meanwhile, Chinese food came in the US when there was no “take-out” culture. Chinese immigrants, barred from most jobs by virulent discrimination, found work in the cities primarily by opening restaurants that offered delivery and take-out food.

Soon Americans began embracing their new neighborhood Chinese restaurants as special places where they could be treated to a meal they didn’t have to cook, and gradually, they began appreciating the flavors of the exotic cuisine.

Today, almost all regions of China are represented in restaurants across the US - clear indication that Chinese cuisine has earned a permanent place on American palates and plates. (Edited by Pan Mengchen, Source - CCTV news)

Holland College Expanding China Programs

College plans to grow from 1,200 to more than 2,000 students in educational joint ventures

Instructors from Holland College travel regularly to China to offer mirror versions of their programs. (Holland College)

Holland College is expanding its presence in China as it celebrates 15 years of offering three-year diploma programs to students in that country.

The college was a pioneer of the in-China delivery model, where students complete the entire program in their home country but receive a diploma from Holland College as well as their institution in China.

The curriculum material is the same as the two-year program on P.E.I. but the Chinese students also do a full year of English-language training.

Eight institutions in China offer eight Holland College programs through the educational joint ventures project:

computer information systems
international hospitality management
marketing and advertising management
business Administration
golf club management
early childhood care and education
electromechanical technology
computer networking technology.

And now there are plans to expand to four more Chinese colleges.

Golf club management is one of eight Holland College programs offered in China. (Holland College)

"We should hopefully go from 1,200 students to over 2,000 students," said Dave Beaton, the college's director of programs.

"People in China are seeing the results of their sister institutions and they're wanting to come on board as well."

Golf club management is one of eight Holland College programs offered in China. (Holland College)

Holland College's style of teaching is very different from what students in China are used to, says Beaton.

'Incredible' and 'challenging'

"The traditional Chinese model of learning is very much rote, where an instructor is standing at the head of the classroom and it's just repetitive, repetitive, repetitive. Very little hands-on training. And our model at Holland College has always been competency-based. You learn more by doing."

Beaton says more than 2,000 students in China have received diplomas from Holland College over the last 15 years.

Although the college knew the program was growing and that it was successful, it was nice to see it first hand, says Maria Driscoll, director of the college's international office, who has visited China twice.

"It was incredible to walk in the door of a classroom in China and to see the Holland College posters up on the wall and to see the excitement with which they greeted the people that came to visit."

Instructor Shawn MacDonald has taught in China 10 times since 2008.

"It's an incredible experience. It's challenging. We're giving instruction in English, but we do have Chinese counterparts, we have co-teachers in the classroom with us and they can help us translate to the students. But, ultimately, we want to deliver the programs in English for the students," said MacDonald.

There are plans to celebrate the project's 15th anniversary this fall when a delegation of Chinese educators will visit the Island.

Holland College president Brian McMillan has been involved with the educational joint ventures since they started 15 years ago. (Holland College) - cbc.ca

Who Tops the Class – 'China Tigers' or 'Western Softies'?

Beijing Letter: BBC documentary sparks debate on education philosophy

Children at Chongshan primary school in southern China’s Guangxi. One head teacher told the BBC website that Chinese teaching methods were on a collision course with teenage British culture and values. Photograph: Johannes Eisele/AFP

"SET" - Work to Create Entrepreneurship City Gets Going

The capital of Sichuan has far more to offer than just pandas and hotpots.

An artist’s impression of the first phase of the new airport in Chengdu, which will be finished by 2018

Pandas and hotpot are often the first two things that most people learn about the city of Chengdu.

However, the capital of Sichuan province has far more to offer.

• Milan Expo visitors get a taste of Chengdu

One thing many people don’t know is that one out of every five desktop computers worldwide is made in the city, one out of every two laptops have their chips packaged and tested in Chengdu and two out of every three iPads also come from the provincial capital.

Chengdu has long been home to big companies, including Intel and Dell.

A total of 265 Fortune Global 500 companies have a presence in the city and more are arriving to make the most of the opportunities offered by national strategies to develop the Silk Road Economic Belt, the Yangtze River Economic Zone and Tianfu New Area.

Local officials said the Tianfu New Area would change Chengdu Plain’s single-centre pattern of cities, which has lasted thousands of years, into a double-centre pattern.

'' Chengdu will be built into an internationally renowned city of innovation by 2025 ''

The core area stretching from Tianfu Square to Tianfu New Area is not only the central axis in the geographical sense, but the axis line in terms of economy, industries, transportation and cultural landscape in the double-centre pattern of cities.

Earlier this year, the city government initiated the Entrepreneurial Tianfu programme to encourage university students, scientific and technological professionals and overseas workers to start businesses and boost innovation in the city.

According to the plan, Chengdu will be built into an internationally renowned city of innovation and entrepreneurship by 2025.

Chengdu is a huge market itself with a population of 17 million residents. With its influence in neighbouring areas, businesses in the city can reach a market of 250 million people.

In addition to its market potential, the city is appealing to many companies as it boasts a well-developed logistics system.

Shuangliu Airport is the largest in China’s central and western region, with 83 international routes linking the city to London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, San Francisco and Melbourne.

Shuangliu Airport saw 37.5 million passengers pass through last year, ranking it fifth among the 202 civil airports on the Chinese mainland. The figure is rising at the fastest rate on the Chinese mainland and is expected to reach more than 40 million passengers this year.

Experts expect annual passenger volume in Chengdu to reach 62 million travellers by 2020 and the city plans to build a new airport to handle increasing traffic.

'' ... passenger volume has kept rising in recent years, so we need a larger airport... ''

“Our Shuangliu Airport is almost running at full capacity, but the passenger volume has kept rising in recent years, so we need a larger airport,” said Pan Gangjun, general manager of the Sichuan Province Airport Group.

Pan said the new airport would mainly serve international routes, while Shuangliu Airport would handle domestic flights.

According to the plans, the first phase of the new airport will be finished by 2018, with annual capacity of 40 million passengers and 700,000 tonnes of cargo.

The long-term goal for the airport is to handle 90 million passengers and 2 million tonnes of cargo annually.

The new airport will make Chengdu the third city on the Chinese mainland to have a second airport, after Beijing and Shanghai.

Chengdu also has a railway that runs to Europe. The express, which runs close to parts of the legendary Silk Road, is a weekly freight train that starts in Chengdu and ends in Lodz, Poland.

The rail service is part of China’s national strategy to build the Silk Road Economic Belt. During his visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed that China and Central Asia work together to build the belt, a vision that has been echoed by other countries.

The railway is the fastest direct freight route from China to Europe, according to the local logistics office. It takes at least 40 days to transport products from Chengdu to Europe by sea, but only 12 days by rail.

'' The Chengdu-Europe express rail is a new Silk Road that links western China and Europe ''

“The Chengdu-Europe express rail, which goes through the Silk Road economic belt, has become a new Silk Road that links western China and Europe,” said Ding Gang, vice director of the Foreign Economic Research Institute of National Development and Reform Commission.

The Chengdu-Europe express railway helped attract consumer goods manufacturer Unilever to choose Sichuan to set up its third global production base in China.

The trip to Europe will be about 1,500 kilometres shorter for each shipment than for goods sent from Unilever’s Hefei plant in Anhui province, said Marijn van Tiggelen, president of Unilever North Asia.

This article was originally produced and published by China Daily. By Li Fusheng, 27 Jul 2015