Website to help Chinese student feel at home in UK

As the UK's new school season approaches, a new website has been launched to make Chinese students more engaged in British life.

Named "haiwaiwuyou" in Chinese, which means no worries overseas, the website was jointly launched by Bank of China's London branch, China Telecom (Europe) and C Cubed Media, a Chinese media company, in London on Thursday afternoon.

Chinese students who go to the UK to study this year can register on the website and then get a free gift package in China.

The package includes a student handbook which lists all kinds of information, important tips about living and studying in the UK, a British telephone card and a diary.

"We hope to help students get rid of their sense of uncertainty when arriving in a new country," says Bai Fan, CEO of the website as well as the founder of C Cubed Media.

The website is mainly aimed at helping Chinese students adapt to life in the UK as quickly as possible and to maximize their education value in Britain.

"Studying in London, there is so much to do outside the classroom," said Kevin McCarthy, the Head of Study at London & Partners.

As an active user of Sina Weibo, China's equivalent of twitter, Kevin McCarthy has been communicating with a lot of Chinese students over Weibo in the past year. He witnessed many Chinese students change from being lonely to being surrounded by friends.

"Just take time out and join in the student clubs, free festivals, museums and events that are taking place in London," said Kevin.

There are currently 78,715 Chinese mainland students who are studying in Britain, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency. In 2012, more than 50,000 Chinese mainland students went to Britain for study.

Bai added that Chinese students should make the most of their experiences abroad, rather than merely getting a graduation certificate.