China climbs ranks of top study abroad spots

China is hoping that American college students watching the Summer Olympics will want to travel there, providing a bump similar to what Australia and Greece enjoyed in 2000 and 2004.
But even before the 2008 Games, China was already on its way as the hot new destination for study abroad. There are almost certainly at least 10,000 U.S. students now enrolled annually in programs in China, up fivefold from a decade ago. China is the seventh most popular destination for U.S. students, according to the Institute of International Education. But it's growing so quickly that, if trends continue, it will soon pass countries like Britain, Spain and Italy and become the most popular.…………………While study abroad generally is growing, China's particular popularity has a range of explanations. It's cheaper than Europe, whose currencies have pummeled the U.S. dollar. There's a supply of American-trained Chinese academics who help bridge the language and culture gap. And China itself has become more welcoming, hoping to emulate how the United States has used its universities to extend its global influence..
They're also looking for a challenge……………Still, like so much associated with rapid growth in China, it's not clear if the current growth rate can continue. Some universities have put the breaks on expansion plans for their Chinese partnerships. There are concerns about quality, and programs admit there's a long list of challenges — lining up local staff, host families, and issues like health care. [View Full Article]