 1352
visiting scholars and personnel for advanced study. According
to the statistics, since the reform of the selecting and
managing method on candidates going to study abroad at
public expense, there had been 10180 scholars sending
abroad by the end of 1999. By June 30, 2000, there were
7500 individuals sending to study abroad funded by the
National Study Abroad Foundation.
When they sent
young people abroad for advanced studies, the state
and organizations hoped they would come back to serve
their country. But after the mid-1980s, a considerable
number of those studying abroad failed to come back as
scheduled. Encouraging Chinese students to come back after
completing their studies abroad, therefore, is an important
part of work concerning the study-abroad program. In 1985,
when the first batch of Chinese students sent abroad after
China began implementing reform and open policies had
won their doctor's degrees, a number of mobile post- |
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doctorate stations were established in China to attract
them back. In the early 1990s, the government adopted
policies which can be summarized as follows: that the
government supports Chinese students to study abroad;
that students are encouraged to return after completing
their studies; and that students are free to come back
and leave the country of their own free will. The government
established a Study-Abroad Fund to support scientific
researches undertaken by returned students as well as
provided preferential conditions for returned students
to start businesses. Localities throughout the country
came up with a host of preferential policies to attract
returned students. In 1996, in the selection of government-financed
study-abroad candidates, the old method of quota allocation
was replaced by a new method consisting of the following:
"application by individuals, examination and evaluation
by experts, fair competition, selection of the best,
assignment to a study-abroad stint after the signing
of a contract, and compensation payment in case of contract
violations." With the new method, which is open
and fair, better qualified students were selected for
government-financed studies abroad. Since the method
was applied, more than 90 percent of government-financed
students have returned as scheduled after completing
their studies. A few failing to come back have
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