English

Abstract

Since the educational law reforms of the mid 1990s, China has been persistently working to create worldclass educational institutions. In addition to this, the Chinese Scholarship Council has been granting scholarships to students all over the world, in an effort to strengthen mutual understanding between the Chinese people and those from other countries. Several studies on the impression international students have of studying in China have been conducted. Nonetheless, existing literature does not explore the opposing relationship. The following research is an exploratory study of the attitudes and impressions that Chinese students have of international students at Renmin University of China (RUC). The findings of this research were obtained through surveys and interviews of a convenient sample of Chinese students. The results reflect that Chinese students have an overall good impression of international students. There is a positive correlation identified between interaction among students and a good impression. Nonetheless, this study also sheds light on the many impediments that both Chinese and international students have to interaction. There are notable existing lingual, cultural and the ecological barriers present in the university, which impede further interactions between student groups.