Sponsored by Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

It’s official – China is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for international students to study. Coming in third just behind the US and UK, the Ministry of Education of China announced that in 2017, a record-breaking 489,000 international students enrolled in Chinese universities.

Improving standards of Chinese universities and their positions in university ranking league tables can be considered just one of the reasons for this rapid rise in popularity, as well as the opportunity to gain an understanding of China’s dominating economic power as the world’s second largest economy. Not to mention being able to learn Chinese Mandarin – the world’s most-spoken language.

Understanding Chinese culture can boost your career prospects

Being able to say that you’ve immersed yourself in the culture of one of the world’s most populous nations can really make your CV stand out to potential employers.

Filip Krzyzanowski, a computer science student, from the University of Liverpool undertook a year abroad at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. He really enjoyed his experience studying in China, saying: “In terms of career I have made a lot of connections from my time in Suzhou, which might benefit me in the future. Now that I’m back in the UK, I find it much easier to engage with Chinese people in the UK as I now have a better understanding of their behavior and culture.”

Building a strong network of contacts and friends from across the world has definite potential for future opportunities. 

Filip also considers how, “it has definitely been a beneficial experience to get to know the Chinese culture and learn a bit of the language”.

So, whether you spend a semester abroad, or study an entire degree abroad, gaining firsthand experience of living and studying in the country can demonstrate your ability to adapt to a new culture and environments.

Knowing Mandarin can open doors

Chinese Mandarin is becoming increasingly important in international communications, so having an understanding and knowledge of the language can open many doors. In the western business world, being able to speak Chinese Mandarin is a skill that is in huge demand, and can make you a very attractive hire.

Although learning a new language may be challenging for some, it can be one of the most rewarding skills you will ever have. Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University offers a range of academic opportunities for international students, ranging from short-term and summer school courses, to full-degree programs. While courses in degree programs are taught in English and delivered by experienced academics from around the world, international students also have the chance to study Chinese Mandarin.

The importance of the Belt and Road Initiative for students and graduates

The Belt and Road Initiative aims to strengthen positive relations between China and 65 countries and regions across Asia, Europe and Africa. Therefore, the demand for graduates who have Chinese experience to lead key projects in the countries along the Belt and Road Initiative is considerably high.

Of the 489,000 students who furthered their studies in China in 2017, 317,200 of them were from a number of Belt and Road Initiative countries, including Iran, Indonesia, Laos, Pakistan and Thailand.

Pakistani student, Fatima Khan, has just begun her BSc Biological Sciences degree at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. She is very aware about the benefits of what studying in China could mean for her future career as a research scientist in genetic engineering: “The research in my field – biology – is huge here in China, and in Suzhou. There are Chinese researchers all over the world, so I would hope being able to speak the language will help me in my chosen career.”

Fatima also considers the importance of her experience: “The things that I’m learning here are going to give me an edge in my career because I’m interacting with people from all over the world. I plan to learn the language as well.”

Education is one of the biggest priorities of the Belt and Road Initiative. As a result, students and graduates who are from countries along the Belt and Road Initiative should find themselves seriously benefitting from their experience of studying in China.

What are you waiting for…

Ranked 79^th in the QS Mainland China Rankings 2019, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is a joint venture between the University of Liverpool in the UK, and Xi’an Jiaotong University in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. The university itself is located in Suzhou, a destination that combines a rich 2,500-year-old history, with a drive to become one of the most modern cities in China.

XJTLU prides itself on its international mobility prospects. Due to its close links with its parent institution, the university offers students from the University of Liverpool the opportunity to take part in a Year in China program, as well as a range of other visiting programs which are available to all international students. Students have the chance to undertake modules on Chinese society, history and politics, as well as learning Chinese Mandarin.

For more information about the range of study options available for international students at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, visit their website.

The newly-published 2019 edition of the QS Arab Region University Rankings now features 123 of the region’s most respected institutions for higher education.

The universities are ranked using a methodology which evaluates their performance across several relevant categories, including employer and academic reputations, international faculty and students, citations per paper (which assesses the impact of each institution’s research), web impact (which reflects the universities’ online presence), and more.

Read on to explore the Arab region’s best universities, and find out more about how they rank among its top 10.    

10. Sultan Qaboos University (SQU)

Image credit: Neil Turner (Flickr)

Location: Oman

Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) was established in 1986, and is the Sultanate’s only public university, as well as the first to award a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Situated within the old Omani village of Al Khoudh in Muscat, SQU’s campus is beautifully built in the traditional Islamic style, reflecting the unique and enigmatic charm of ancient Omani architecture.

Having retained its position as 10^th in the Arab rankings from last year, the university achieves high scores across most of the 10 indicators, and particularly excels for its proportion of staff with PhD, receiving a flawless score.

9. University of Jordan

Location: Jordan

As one of the Hashemite Kingdom’s leading research universities, the University of Jordan offers over 161 postgraduate programs in a vast range of fields recognized and supported by globally renowned scholars.

The University of Jordan maintained ninth position in the Arab rankings this year, and boasts a perfect score for its proportion of staff with PhD, as well as a near-perfect score for its web impact. It also receives high scores for both academic and employer reputations, having educated several of the Arab world’s notable academics and politicians.

8. American University in Cairo

Location: Egypt

Boasting an attractive campus surrounded by palm trees and water fountains, the American University in Cairo (AUC) was founded in 1919, and has since played a vital role within the academic, social and cultural realms of Egyptian society.

With its core foundations of research, learning and teaching embellished in the liberal arts, all undergraduates at AUC study an established set of courses in the fields of humanities and the natural and social sciences, as part of the university’s Core Curriculum.

Currently ranked eighth in the Arab region university rankings, AUC receives its highest and near-perfect scores for the indicators used to assess web impact and overall academic reputation.

7. American University of Sharjah (AUS)

Location: Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Despite its relatively young existence, the American University of Sharjah (AUS) – founded in 1997 – has quickly gained exceptional recognition since, with a fast-rising growth in enrolment and academic reputation.

Its campus is probably among the most beautiful in the world – a picturesque Islamic building that represents the epitome of a perfectly-domed Arabesque structure on reflective marble flooring, encircled with splendid gardens and water fountains.    

Up one place in the Arab rankings this year to place seventh, it hits perfect scores for three of the ten categories; international faculty, staff with PhD, and international students. All courses at AUS are taught in English.

6. Qatar University

Location: Qatar

Having acquired a significant upsurge in academic excellence since 1979, Qatar University is today one of the leading institutions for higher education in the Arab region. As well as this, it has fast gained international popularity, currently placing joint 332^nd in the QS World University Rankings® 2019.

Placed sixth this year in the Arab region university rankings, Qatar University’s high performance across the 10 academic factors is reflected through its excellent scores, and with its worldwide recognition, it does particularly well for the indicator used to measure the proportion of international students, as well as staff with PhD.

5. United Arab Emirates University

Location: United Arab Emirates

Founded by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1976, the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is the first and largest academic institution in the UAE. Through its contributions to the development of the Emirates as a whole, it continues to reflect its founder’s progressive vision, providing a culturally diverse and fulfilling academic experience.

The UAEU currently ranks fifth in the Arab region and performs exceptionally well across all 10 indicators. It receives a perfect score for staff with PhD, boasting over 650 faculty members with doctoral qualifications in their fields of study, as of 2017.

4. King Saud University (KSU)

Location: Saudi Arabia

King Saud University (KSU) was named after the founder of Saudi Arabia. Having recently made a vast investment toward the progressive development of the university as a world-renowned research-intensive institution, it currently features among the world’s top 300 universities in the world university rankings, at 256^th place.

Also placing fourth in the Arab region this year, KSU gets highly impressive scores across eight out of the 10 indicators, hitting the flawless mark for those assessing the proportion of staff with PhD, international research network (which measures the diversity of universities’ research collaborations), and web impact.

3. King Abdul Aziz University (KAU)

Location: Saudi Arabia

Located in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah, along the Red Sea, the King Abdul Aziz University (KAU) was established in 1967, with the aim to provide higher education in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia. Having achieved world-wide renown, it currently stands at joint 231^st in the world.

Placing third in the Arab region this year, KAU achieves perfect scores for the indicators which measure international research network and citations per paper – the latter also being the highest in the top 10 for the category.

2. American University of Beirut (AUB)

Location: Lebanon

Based in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, the American University of Beirut (AUB) was founded in 1866, and is a private and secular research-intensive university, offering over 120 programs within a wide range of faculties, all of which are conducted in English.  

As one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the Middle East, AUB currently stands at second place in the region, ranking highly across nine out of the 10 indicators and scoring the highest and most perfect score for its employer reputation, as well as a near-perfect score for web impact.

1. King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM)

Image credit: Abdulrahman Y. idlbi (Flickr)

Location: Saudi Arabia

King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) is currently the 189^th best university in the QS World University Rankings, and was first established by Royal Decree in 1963. It offers Saudi Arabia’s most highly-regarded science and engineering programs, and due to the Kingdom’s successful management of petroleum and mineral resources, has adopted an excellent approach to advanced training in the fields of science, engineering, and management.

Topping the Arab region university rankings this year, KFUPM scores the highest in the top 10 for its faculty/student ratio, and research papers per faculty member – for which it also receives a perfect score.

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Sponsored by Duke Kunshan University

When it’s time to choose a postgraduate business degree, you could be forgiven for feeling paralyzed by the range of options available to you. From traditional MBA degrees to business master’s programs and business-adjacent courses, there is a multitude of paths you could choose to follow, each of which will have an impact on your career options after you graduate.

Fortunately, there are some key elements which can help you make this decision, as we learned by speaking to graduates from the Master of Management Studies: Duke Kunshan University (MMS: Duke Kunshan) program, an international program jointly offered at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business in the US and Duke Kunshan University in China. Here’s how they were able to find the perfect graduate program for them.

Do you want the opportunity to study in multiple countries?

One of the fastest ways to whittle down your shortlist of postgraduate programs is to look at whether the programs provide global learning opportunities. Given how international the world’s businesses have become, the opportunity to experience a different culture and broaden your horizons is too good to pass up. The Master of Management Studies: Duke Kunshan University, for example, allows students to study in both North Carolina in the US and Kunshan in China, offering you the chance to immerse yourself in the culture of these two countries.

Designed to provide students from any academic background with an education in business fundamentals, the Master of Management Studies program’s ability to encompass both the East and West is ideal preparation for the global business world. One of the program’s alumni, Tina Lin ‘16, from Canada, says: “To me, learning on both campuses felt like getting the best of both worlds. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to learn in a different environment and to challenge myself in these settings.”

This ability to start your studies in one country and then transition to another offers a different experience to your typical semester abroad program, not least because it means you get to study in China in particular. Given its status as one of the world’s fastest growing economies and an increasingly important business center, experience of working and living in China can be a real competitive advantage when starting out in your career. That’s not without mentioning the experience of getting to study in Durham, North Carolina at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, one of the top business schools in the US.

You might think moving to study in such a different culture from what you’re used to will be daunting, but Fuqua and Duke Kunshan do everything possible to make your surroundings feel like home, both in the US and China. Faculty are flown out from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business to China to ensure continuity with the rest of your studies, while a whole host of fun extra-curricular activities - from wine tasting to cultural explorations - ensure you bond with your classmates. There’s even the opportunity to learn Mandarin while you’re in China!

Ryan Safian, MMS ‘15, from the US, found the dual experience of studying in Durham, US and Kunshan, China extremely rewarding, saying: “Durham and Kunshan, although very different from each other, are both great places to study. In Kunshan, you get to observe what modern development is like in China, and appreciate the balance between living outside the downtown area of Kunshan and being able to travel to Shanghai, one of the busiest cities in the world, just a short train ride away.”

Do you want a degree which can offer you a clear advantage in terms of employability?

When considering a postgraduate degree, career opportunities and employability are a significant factor in decision making. That’s why programs with a proven track record of producing employable graduates should be top of your list.

The Master of Management Studies: Duke Kunshan University has seen 90 percent of the students from its last three graduating classes find a job within six months of graduating. Typical employers include McKinney, Bain, J.P. Morgan, Deloitte, SoftBank China Capital, Microsoft, IBM and Citi, among many others.

Why is the program so successful? Well, career development is an important part of the program, with staff in the career management center working closely with students to identify their strengths and weaknesses There are abundant resources available to you including resume workshops, mock interviews, one-on-one coaching, industry panels, and networking events. In addition, the business knowledge and professional skills you have learned during the program ensure you’re well prepared when entering the workplace.

Your experience of living and studying in two countries and the intercultural skills learned as a result will also set you apart in the job market. Plus, your membership in the Duke’s and Fuqua’s global alumni networks and Duke Kunshan’s growing network in China provide you a strong support in your career development.  

Lucia Garcia from Argentina graduated from the program in 2015. She says: “The MMS: Duke Kunshan program prepared me for a career in international business, allowing me to experience first-hand both the American and Chinese business cultures. With a global point of view and exceptional academic training, I felt qualified to take my place in the world of international business.”

It should also be noted that China has recently relaxed restrictions on international students’ ability to be eligible for work visas after graduation. So, a degree from Duke University in the US plus an in-depth immersion experience in China could put you a step closer towards working in one of the fastest-growing business centers in the world.

Do you want a program which offers a fulfilling student experience?

If those last two questions have helped you narrow down your postgraduate options, the next step is to start comparing what the actual student experience will be like.

Sarah Adams graduated from MMS: Duke Kunshan this year, and was effusive when asked what students should expect from studying a Master of Management Studies there like she did. She says: “You will take classes taught by professors who are leaders in their field of study and who will be instrumental in helping you achieve success not only in the classroom, but outside of it as well.”

Life with MMS: Duke Kunshan doesn’t begin and end in the classroom, though. In both countries, you embed yourself within the campus environments, local communities and networks. When in the US, you get to experience what “Team Fuqua” is like, and also experience the Duke culture by participating in the basketball camp-out (Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team is one of the most successful teams in the US) and other renowned traditions.

While you are in China, you will soon find yourself exploring the culture and businesses there through traveling and networking with local people and alumni in the region. You will also participate in corporate visits and mini-consulting projects, putting what you’ve learned in the classroom into action.

Sound like something you’d be interested in?

Find out more about the Master of Management Studies: Duke Kunshan University by visiting the program’s website. Students on the program start their studies at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business in Durham, NC, US, and complete the rest of the program at Duke Kunshan University’s campus in Kunshan, China, which is located just outside of Shanghai. A degree in Master of Management Studies from Duke University is awarded upon graduation. Scholarships are available.