Campus Crisis at International Students

Early this month, two Chinese graduate students from USC (University of South California) were killed in their car. They were travelling around US via a secondhand BMW. When they stop the car and relax themselves, a robber uesd gun to demanded the couples to get out of the car. Lack of experience, these two students refused to leave the car. The reaction made the robber angry and shot them to death.The news is like a bomb, leading to a wide range of discussions.

Only two weeks later, two Chinese students in Australia were robbed and attacked on a train back to their house. Many Chinese students, who prepare to study abroad, begin to hesitate “is it safe abroad”?

Two students killed in the USC case. (Source: aboluowang.com)

Actually, in general, the public security in these developed countries is much better than in China. However, the two cases warn us that the situation is not ideal. Many local residents and also many Chinese people consider study-abroad students to be rich and wealthy. Although the fact is not like that, this concern has deeply injected in these people’s minds.

In the USC case, most people focused more on the BMW car rather than the case itself. In fact, the BMW is a second hand vehicle only cost 10,000 dollars.

The BWM in the case. (Source: sina.com)

The two cases also have negative effects on the educational popularity in these countries. First, although these students may hesitate to study abroad, most of them may still apply for these universities. However, after they are admitted, they may not come to study. Thus, both the quality and the quantity of the students will decrease. Second, if the amount of students were decreased, the tuition income will also decrease. Especially for public universities in the US, they gain fewer funds from the state government because of the economic crisis and the tuitions from international students can serve as a supplement to the university funds. Third, the decrease in Chinese students will affect the diversity on campus. The degree of diversity is very important for a university because it will affect the reputation and fame. Finally, international students are fresh troops in research programs in these universities. The decrease will also affect the research environment.

Campus Crisis (Source: roanoke.com)

Hopefully, the US and Australia government can improve the public security and assure the safety of students. The campus crime is a tragedy for students. 

Why studying abroad?

It is noticing that there are more students each year from Asian countries like China, India and Korea studying abroad. Most of them like to choose undergraduate or graduate institutes in developed countries, such as the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, etc. Why are they doing so and is it a good decision to study abroad?

(Source: av.net.cn)

First, students studying abroad want to increase their experiences. Although the development of Internet and media has allowed people to get to know the foreign cultures without even leaving the room, it is absolutely a different experience to live in a foreign environment. One can never really understand the humanity and culture through Internet and media. Life of studying abroad can also broaden horizons, improve critical thinking and develop a sense of responsibility. Students have the opportunity to truly understand the meaning of humanity and the society.

（Source: edu.longhoo.net)

Second, the education system is more developed. On one hand, the educational concepts, facilities and methods are more improved in developed countries. Students can experience more in a university with qualified apparatus. On the other hand, there are more majors and directions. Some majors, such as biomaterials and clinical medicine, depend on the quality of facilities. Students can learn more on these directions when studying abroad.

Chinese students are preparing for food. (Source: cssa.china.edu.cn)

Third, these students want to make some changes. Some of the students who decide to study abroad, already have a very high diploma or a decent job at home. However, they just want to be more competitive. Therefore they choose to improve themselves by studying abroad.

Actually, the developed countries usually welcome these students to study in their nations. On one hand, the international tuitions, which are often higher than the local tuitions, can serve as a supplement to the funds of the institutes. On the other hand, they can also keep the academically successful students within the nation by providing jobs to them.

Facebook's next move: China?

        Facebook, the most popular social networking site around the globe, still hasn't got the approval to launch itself in mainland China. The reason may be complex, but one thing is certain, the Facebook is still changing its strategy to step its feet into the eastern nation. On an interview in 2010, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated, “How can you connect the whole world if you leave out 1.6 billion people?” to show his interest in the Chinese market. 

(Source: Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook's Strategy for China)

         This is not the first time Zuckerberg shows his interest in China. In 2010, he went on a personal trip to China, visiting three internet giants in China: China mobile, Baidu and Sina. His action had set off a frenzy of speculation in Chinese internet market. However, the failure of american internet companies like ebay, Yahoo and Google also warned the young man that the road was not that simple.

        Actually, if the Facebook successfully entered China, it would cause a lot of changes. First, this will be the first time most Chinese netizens directly communicate with people out of the nation. Before 2003, the degree of openness of internet in China was rather high. Then, after 2003, the Chinese government begun to control the internet use, preventing Chinese netizens to get in touch with western electronic media. However, the internet market and technology improved at an alarming speed during this period. As a result, many of the Chinese netizens do not have the experience to communicate with foreigners directly themselves. 

（Source: umiwi.com)

        Second, the Facebook will have to compete with the local social networking site. Because of the absence of Facebook in China, several local social networking sites are now very popular in China, such as Renren, Kaixin and Douban. Especially for Renren, it is a social networking site based on the “oldboy network”, with a current number of users over 5 million. It is rather hard for Facebook to shake the standing place of Renren. Therefore, it has to think of other strategies. 

(Source: renren.com)

        Lastly, the business pattern of Facebook will collide with the development patterns of internet in China. Many services provided by Facebook, the apps for example, do not quite match with the pattern in Chinese network. Whether Facebook will change its pattern to appeal to the Chinese internet, or Chinese internet will seek a better way to fit with the foreign service structure, only time can tell.

        At present, Chinese netizons have to use proxy to log on Facebook. We believe that one day Facebook can break through the "high wall" set up by Chinese government and enable Chinese users to travel in the exciting virtual world.