Why are some Chinese students choosing Spain despite its tough job market?
Relatively low tuition rates and a more relaxed lifestyle appeal to young adults, while scarce work, high rents and expanding Chinese investment shape their prospects
For Daisy Chen, a graduate of one of China’s top medical universities, choosing Spain over Britain, the United States and Australia puzzled many of her friends.
Instead of following the well-trodden path to an English-speaking country, she began a master’s degree programme in healthcare management in Barcelona.
“I didn’t choose the US, the UK or Australia because they were too expensive, and I felt the competition there would probably be just as intense as in China,” she said. “I wanted to study somewhere I could actually enjoy life, rather than staying in that constant rat race.”
She found exactly that – until she graduated. Finding work proved far more difficult than settling into the city.
Since earning her degree in June, Chen said she had sent nearly 100 applications for positions in hospitals, laboratories and healthcare, mostly through popular websites such as Indeed and LinkedIn, as well as local recruitment websites, but had yet to receive a single interview invitation.
To support herself, she strings together several part-time jobs, including designing travel itineraries for Chinese visitors to Spain, working at trade fairs, teaching English online and teaching Chinese in person.