Student's forum views domestic, overseas education

Xiong Feng, a student at Brookline High School in Massachusetts, gets excited when he talks about his overseas study experiences.

And because he considers it such an important topic, Xiong invited some big names in academia and business to discuss the international education opportunity.

"Although 340,000 Chinese students go to study abroad, compared with 10 million gaokao (college entrance exam) examinees, it is still a small number, and most students will still stay in China," Xiong said.

Xiong cares about how the overseas study trend affects China's education, saying it provides international vision and benefits to domestic students.

"That's why I held the forum," Xiong said.

The 17-year-old hosted an education forum on July 20 in Beijing to discuss international and domestic educational opportunities, their interrelationship and the economics of both.

Song Zaisheng, an economics professor at Peking University, said Chinese and Western education both have advantages, and he encourages Chinese students to develop the critical thinking stimulated in Western schools.

Matthew Jaskol, president of Alphine Education Co, an education consulting company in Beijing, analyzed the opportunities in Chinese education and demand and international opportunities.

"Studying abroad is still an expensive route for many Chinese parents," Jaskol said, adding that it is important to provide well-rounded education to students who could not afford the big cost.