The China Education Expo 2012 kicked off on Saturday in Beijing, attracting more than 500 overseas institutions and education bureaus from 38 countries and regions across the world, with new national faces stepping into the world's largest recruitment market.
The number of national pavilions presenting their countries' academic opportunities reached a record 21, including educational powers like Canada, the US, Britain, Germany and Spain, said Zong Wa, deputy secretary-general of China Education Association for International Exchange.
The annul expo wraps up its Beijing show on Sunday and moves on to tour six other major mainland cities (including Shanghai next weekend) before ending in Guangzhou on Nov 3. (For a complete schedule, see www.chinaeducationexpo.com.)
"China is a potential market. We don't want to miss it. We've seen a steady growth of Chinese students coming to study in Spain," said Jenny Mendoza, chief market analyst with Spain's economic and commercial office in Beijing.
Even though Spain is mired in the global financial crisis and the number of institutions it brought to China this year - more than 20 - is a little bit smaller, it doesn't limit Spain's desire to embrace more Chinese students in the future, Mendoza said.
Institutions from the UK and the US both numbered more than 80. And Canada, a longtime hot destination for Chinese students, had the most exhibitors with 94. The expo held at the China Exhibition Hall filled two floors, with schools from Canada and the US occupying the entire second floor.
About 20 regional education bureaus from Canada came to attract Chinese students for primary and high school education.
