Brexit boost for Chinese students

Brexit is likely to make it easier for Chinese students studying in the UK to find a job or start a business in the country after graduation, a report has said.

The report, which is released this week by Learning without Borders, a London-based global education platform, shows that roughly 30 percent of Chinese students studying in the UK say that they were more inclined to try and find an internship or get a job in the country rather than anywhere else. This figure is four percent higher than 2015.

China is now the biggest source for international students in the UK, and Chinese students now account for roughly 38 percent of them. In 2016, it was estimated that about 91,894 Chinese students were studying in UK, according to the report.

However, in 2015, only about 6 percent of Chinese students in UK were able to get a work visa after graduation, which is much lower than that of other countries, such as the US and India, it said.

He Chugang, general manager of the South China region at Amber Education, an overseas study consultancy, said:"After Brexit, Chinese students and investors might have equal status with those from other EU countries, and there may be more opportunities for them."

The report says that for Chinese students, it is easier to get a job visa in finance, markets, engineering, the media, tourism, education and real estate. Of people who start businesses, roughly 24 percent chose to enter advertising and the media, and 19 percent chose education.

Hao Fei, chief executive of Learning without Borders, said students in the European Union were subject to the same regulations as UK students, and European labor forces could fl ow freely within the EU, but post-Brexit, he expected the number of EU students studying in UK to be reduced.

He said: "For Chinese students, this means less competition and more opportunities."

After the Brexit referendum, the UK government's proposal to reduce tax for companies and the fall of the pound made the UK more attractive for Chinese postgraduates who want to start business there.