Analysis of Chinese Government Scholarship for International Students Using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Abstract

China’s improving economic status is playing a vital role in the international race for soft power. The Chinese government has been investing considerably in the education sector in an attempt to attract international students from different countries by offering many scholarships each year. Scholarships cover tuition fees, medical costs, and provide a living allowance for students. The previously reported ambiguous results about this scholarship program needed to be confirmed. This paper examined the Chinese Government Scholarship program to determine the satisfaction level of international students with the program. We used a sample of 150 international students that were receiving this scholarship at different universities in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. We used the Analytical Hierarchy Process to quantify the overall satisfaction level of the international students. Descriptive statistics were then used to analyze the responses of the international students about the Chinese Government Scholarship. The Chinese Government Scholarship significantly affected international students. Additionally, most of the students were satisfied with the scholarship program. We suggest that the Chinese government should continue the scholarship policy by improving the education system to enhance the learning environment for international students.