Chinese graduates lament Western degrees no longer a fast track for top jobs
- As Chinese universities climb up world rankings, Western degrees are not as prized by employers as they once were, according to overseas graduates
- Hiring departments are often more familiar with elite Chinese universities and certain professions require strong local networks, young jobseekers say
As degrees from overseas universities lose their competitive edge in China, graduates returning for work are getting mixed signals from employers, with some concerned the job market favours candidates who obtained local qualifications, despite an enduring “West is best” mentality in certain parts of society.
The total number of Chinese nationals studying overseas in 2019 was 703,500, according to the Ministry of Education. In the 2019-20 academic year, China sent more than 100,000 new university students to Britain alone, marking a 20 per cent increase from the previous year, according to the England-based Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While Britain remains a popular destination for Chinese students from relatively well-off households, long-held assumptions that Western graduates are better equipped with social and language skills, and therefore more sought after in China’s job market, are starting to be eroded, experts and young jobseekers say.
I don’t think we have much advantage over graduates who studied here
“It is a stereotype or general perception that students who have studied overseas are more eloquent, confident and aggressive,” said Professor Aaron Koh Soon Lee from the faculty of education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
“Employers tend to think that experience of a different education system makes them more liberal and creative.
“Most regard the West as the best, so graduates from branded Western universities get some kind of an endorsement – it’s like a passport.”
But as Chinese universities climb up world rankings, overseas graduates are returning home to find they are no longer the top pick for jobs.
