VOA慢速英语--美国大学报告称中国留学生人数减少

US Universities Report Drop in Students from China

For the past 10 years, the number of Chinese students at U.S. universities has been rising. But university officials are starting to see a sharp drop in Chinese students.

Several universities have reported drops of 20 percent or more this autumn at the start of a new school term.

To get more international students, some schools are advertising¹ in other countries and working to keep the number of Chinese students they have.

U.S. colleges and universities need the money paid by students from China and other countries. International students usually pay the whole tuition amount, unlike American students, many of whom ask for financial aid.

University officials and observers say there are several reasons for the falling numbers of Chinese students. They include trade conflicts and political tensions between China and the United States. There also is increasing competition for college students, visa issues and the growth of China’s higher education system.

At Bentley University in Massachusetts, the number of new Chinese students arriving for graduate level work dropped from 110 last autumn to 70. As a result, Bentley officials are wondering whether all of its graduate programs can survive.

“I wouldn’t describe it as catastrophically bad,” said the university’s president, Alison Davis-Blake. She added that the university has tried to get more students from other countries as well as from inside the United States.

Large decreases in Chinese students also have been reported this autumn at the University of Vermont, which reported a 23 percent decrease. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln had a 20 percent decrease.

China sends more students to study in the United States than any other country. Its 363,000 students represent more than 30 percent of all international students at U.S. universities.

Parents and students in China share concerns with those in other countries about American gun violence as well as immigration issues. In May, the group NAFSA: Association of International Educators identified two main reasons for falling numbers of international students who want to study in the United States: the difficulty of getting a visa, and the social and political environment in the United States.

But there are also problems that affect only Chinese students. The Trump² administration has accused China of stealing U.S. intellectual property. It is looking very closely at Chinese students who ask for visas to study robotics, flight and high-tech³ manufacturing.

In June, China warned students and other visitors to the United States about possible difficulties in getting U.S. visas.

Xiong Xiong is an electrical engineering student at Beijing Jiaotong University. He said he hopes to study at a U.S. university. But he is worried about the visa process, so he plans to ask to study in Britain.

“I’m concerned my visa will be affected,” he said.

Brad Farnsworth is vice⁴ president for international global engagement at the American Council on Education. He said that his recent travels in China suggest the claims of economic espionage⁵ are making some students think they are not welcome.

“The concern is a Chinese student…will be met with animosity…about why they are in the United States,” he said.

International students add an estimated $39 billion to the U.S. economy.

Normally, over 5,000 Chinese students are in the colleges of engineering and business at the University of Illinois. The university recently took an insurance policy that will pay it $60 million if the money from Chinese students drops by 20 percent.

Lehigh University in Pennsylvania announced this month it has agreed to pay a recruiter to help bring in more students from India. It also has been taking more interest in African countries south of the Sahara Desert, said Lehigh’s Cheryl Matherly.

Like many other American universities, Lehigh has begun sending employees to Beijing and Shanghai to meet with Chinese students and their parents. The employees want to ease Chinese fears about studying in the U.S. and show that their university wants Chinese students.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

tuition– n. money that is paid to a school for the right to study there

graduate– adj. related to or involving people who have successfully completed a class or training program

catastrophe– n. a terrible disaster

intellectual property– adj. something (such as an idea, invention, or process) that comes from a person's mind

engagement – n. interacting with someone

espionage- n. the act of spying on someone

animosity– n. hatred⁶, anger

insurance – n. a process by which a company or government agency provides a guarantee of payment for losses or damages

recruit – v. to find people with the required education or job skills and get them to join a company, an organization

1 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

6 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。