Zhejiang university had its first enrollment of international students in 1979 and since then, more than 20,000 international students have come to study in the school. In 2008, the International College gave admission to, both long-term and short-term, more than 3,500 overseas students coming from 115 countries across the world, including 116 doctoral candidates, 158 graduate students, 1006 undergraduate students, 158 visiting students, more than 1,400 long-term Chinese language students and about 640 students of short-term programs. The college has a strong teaching faculty composed of more than 30 full-time teachers and over 40 part-time teachers, including 9 full professors and 22 associate professors.
In addition to the long and short term Chinese Language and Culture programs, the college has been running an undergraduate program of Chinese Studies (with focus on Economics and Trade/Tourism Management), and a graduate program of Chinese Studies will be offered when preparation is completed. Zhejiang university have a HSK(Chinese Proficiency Test) Test Center which holds the test on April, June and November every year. The majority of the students attending the language program have achieved satisfactory grades in the past tests. Zhejiang university also run short-term programs for group students, with focus on different subjects such as Chinese language, culture, economics and trade, business administration, music, weiqi, calligraphy, painting and so on. Each year there are about 600 students coming to our university.
Every year, the International College accepts over 200 CSC scholarship students. Meanwhile, Zhejiang university also offer college scholarship to international students who achieve excellent academic performance, abide by laws and school regulations and study in our school for more than one academic year, and in addition, Zhejiang university provide scholarship for applicants of high competitiveness. Zhejiang university attach great importance to building long-term and close co-operation with foreign universities and overseas study agencies. Each year hundreds of university exchange students and students recommended by study abroad agencies come to our school to attend academic programs.
Our alumni all over the world have been bringing into full play what they had learnt in our school and contributing greatly to exchange, co-operation and friendship between Chinese people and peoples across the world. After completing their studies or graduating from our university, many overseas students pursue further studies in our school, become the mainstay in governmental or higher learning institutions, take jobs in joint ventures or foreign-invested companies in China or build careers in the fields of Chinese teaching, trade or culture exchange with China.
The college has been vigorously developing Chinese language teaching programs with overseas partners. Entrusted by National Office of Chinese Language Council International, Zhejiang university have worked together with the University of Western Australia, the University of Rhode Island (USA) and the Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University (Japan) to set up the Confucius Institute on their campus. The International College and the Sate Street Corporation, the world’s largest financial service provider, have jointly established a Chinese Culture Center in Boston, US, to which Zhejiang university send teachers on a regular basis to give Chinese courses to State Street’s employees. In co-operation with the university Graduate School and the School of Humanities, Zhejiang university have been running a post-graduate program on Chinese language and culture in Malaysia.
There are many opportunities of fieldwork and after-class activities provided by our college each year, including agriculture visits to tea plantation and farm, industry visits, trips to Xi’an, Hainan island, Thousand-islet Lake and ancient waterside towns. Our students are also strongly encouraged to participate in all kinds of stage performances, speech contests, various sports events and will be invited to receptions for major holidays and festivals.
