Chinese Government Scholarship Research Articles

International student mobility to China: The effects of government scholarship and Confucius Institute

Government scholarship plays an active role in attracting foreign students and promoting higher education exports. As a culture and education platform, Confucius Institute is also likely to affect the number of foreign students in China. Using the data from 188 countries over the 2003-2018 period, we find globally both attract more international students to China. In addition, government scholarship has stronger impacts on degree-seeking students whereas Confucius Institute affects non-degree-seeking students more. At the continental level, government scholarship remains effective, particularly for degree-seeking students. Confucius Institute, however, display opposing impacts for different continents. As the number of the Institute increases in a country, there will be more foreign students if the continent is of higher income, geographically more distant from China, or culturally less exposed to China; and vice versa. Globally and for most continents, we observe Confucius Institute affects the positive effect of Chinese government scholarship. The results offer policy implications for government scholarship allocation decisions.

The impact of the Chinese Government Scholarship Program and Confucius Institute on China’s national image in Botswana: a soft power perspective

The impact of the Chinese Government Scholarship Program and Confucius Institute on China’s national image in Botswana: a soft power perspective

Modelling the Situation of COVID-19 and Effects of Different Containment Strategies in China with Dynamic Differential Equations and Parameters Estimation

Background: An ongoing outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia has spread to many parts of the world generating concerns about the possibility of an extensive pandemic. However, due to the limited emerging understanding of the new virus and its transmission mechanisms, the results are largely inconsistent across studies. Methods: This paper proposed a quarantined-susceptible-exposed-infectious-resistant (QSEIR) model which considers the unprecedented strict quarantined measures in almost the whole China to resist the epidemic. We estimated model parameters from published information with statistical method and stochastic simulation, we found the parameters that achieved the best simulation test result. The next stage involved quantitative predictions of future epidemic developments based on different containment strategies with QSEIR model, focused on the sensitivity of the outcomes to different parameter choices in mainland China. Findings: The main results are as follows. If the strict quarantined measures are being retained, the peak value of confirmed cases would be in the range of [52438, 64090] and the peak date would be expected in the range February 7 to February 19, 2020. During March 18-30, 2020, the epidemic would be totally controlled. The end date would be in the period from August 20 to September 1, 2020. With 80% probability, our prediction on the peak date was 4 days ahead of the real date, the prediction error of the peak value is 0.43%, both estimates are much closer to the observed values compared with published studies. The sensitive analysis indicated that the quarantine measures (or with vaccination) is the most effective containment strategy to control the epidemic, followed by measures to increase the cured rate (like finding special medicine). The long-term simulation result and sensitive analysis in mainland China showed that the QSEIR model is stable and can be empirically validated. It is suggested that the QSEIR model can be applied to predict the development trend of epidemic in other regions or countries in the world. In mainland China, the quarantine measures can't be relaxed before the end of March, 2020. China can fully resume production with the appropriate anti-measures beginning in early April, 2020. The significance of this study for other countries now facing the epidemic outbreaks is that they should act more decisively and take in time quarantine measures though it may have negative short-term public and economic consequences. Interpretation: Parameter estimation is the most important part in the kind of SEIR model (Cao et al., 2020b). The paper illustrated the method to generate the parameter estimations. Given the data limitations, there were 20% errors in the simulation tests. With the improvement of data quality and more data, variable parameters can be estimated and the forecasting accuracy of the model can be enhanced. Funding Statement: The 2019 Chinese Government Scholarship and National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants No. 71874184 and No. 71988101. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Missing.

Modification of the spectra of correlated charm-anticharm quark pairs in the quark-gluon plasma * * This work was supported by Chinese government scholarship (CSC) for foreigner graduate students and by NSFC (11675079)

Heavy quarks play an important role in probing the properties of strongly interacting quark-gluon plasma (QGP) created in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We study the interactions of single heavy (charm) quarks and correlated charm and anticharm ( ) quark pairs with the medium constituents of QGP by performing fireball+Langevin simulations of the pertinent Brownian motion with elastic collisions. Besides studying the traditional observables, the nuclear modification factor and the elliptic flow of single heavy quarks in QGP for different thermal relaxation rates, we also study the broadening of the azimuthal correlations of charm and anticharm quark pairs in the QGP medium for different relaxation rates and transverse momenta classes. We quantified the smearing of pair azimuthal correlations with an increasing thermal relaxation rate: while the (nearly) back-to-back correlations among pairs are almost completely washed out at low transverse momentum (pT), these correlations at high pT largely survive the pair diffusion. This provides a novel observable for diagnosing the properties of QGP.

Identifying Factors that Influence International Student Mobility in Chinese Higher Education Institutions

International student mobility has been becoming varied and complex. Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs) host about 492,185 international students in 2018, sharing 10 percent of globally mobile students. The purpose of the study was to promote understanding of factors that influence international students choose to earn academic degree in Chinese HEIs. The econometric approach was applied to identify factors that influence international student mobility in China. The total inflow of international students, the inflow of students from both developing and developed countries, and international students with undergraduate, master’s and doctoral academic programs are taken as predicted variables. The political, economic, academic, socio-cultural factors were chosen as explanatory variables. From the sample data of 60 countries of origin, our data covers more than 89% of total international students earn academic degrees in Chinese HEIs during the period 2007 to 2016. The results indicated some differences in determinants of undergraduate students, master’s students and doctoral students from developing and developed countries choose to study in China. The economic development level between China and the countries of origin and their bilateral trade relations are important economic factors that affect international students, and the impact on undergraduate students is more significant. The Chinese government scholarship policies and mutual recognition of academic degrees have been effectively promoted inward international students. Compared with undergraduate students, the academic ranking of Chinese universities has more significant influences on master’s students and doctoral students. The geographical distance and cultural distance between China and the countries of origin are important social and cultural factors. International students from developed countries are more influenced by cultural distance factor.

Identifying Factors that Influence International Student Mobility in Chinese Higher Education Institutions

International student mobility has been becoming varied and complex. Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs) host about 492,185 international students in 2018, sharing 10 percent of globally mobile students. The purpose of the study was to promote understanding of factors that influence international students choose to earn academic degree in Chinese HEIs. The econometric approach was applied to identify factors that influence international student mobility in China. The total inflow of international students, the inflow of students from both developing and developed countries, and international students with undergraduate, master’s and doctoral academic programs are taken as predicted variables. The political, economic, academic, socio-cultural factors were chosen as explanatory variables. From the sample data of 60 countries of origin, our data covers more than 89% of total international students earn academic degrees in Chinese HEIs during the period 2007 to 2016. The results indicated some differences in determinants of undergraduate students, master’s students and doctoral students from developing and developed countries choose to study in China. The economic development level between China and the countries of origin and their bilateral trade relations are important economic factors that affect international students, and the impact on undergraduate students is more significant. The Chinese government scholarship policies and mutual recognition of academic degrees have been effectively promoted inward international students. Compared with undergraduate students, the academic ranking of Chinese universities has more significant influences on master’s students and doctoral students. The geographical distance and cultural distance between China and the countries of origin are important social and cultural factors. International students from developed countries are more influenced by cultural distance factor.

Broken Time-Reversal Symmetry in Superconducting Partially Filled Skutterudite Pr1−δPt4Ge12**Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant Nos 2017YFA0303104 and 2016YFA0300503, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 11774061, and the Chinese Government Scholarship of China Scholarship Council.

Time reversal symmetry (TRS) is a key symmetry for classification of unconventional superconductors, and the violation of TRS often results in a wealth of novel properties. Here we report the synthesis and superconducting properties of the partially filled skutterudite Pr1 − δPt4Ge12. The results from x-ray diffraction and magnetization measurements show that the [Pt4Ge12] cage-forming structure survives and bulk superconductivity is preserved below the superconducting transition temperature Tc = 7.80 K. The temperature dependence of both the upper critical field and the electronic specific heat can be described in terms of a two-gap model, providing strong evidence of multi-band superconductivity. TRS breaking is observed using zero field muon-spin relaxation experiments, and the magnitude of the spontaneous field is nearly half of that in PrPt4Ge12.

Thickness-dependent magnetic anisotropy in obliquely deposited Fe(001)/Pd thin film bilayers probed by VNA-FMR**Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2015CB921403 and 2016YFA0300701), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51427801, 11374350, and 51671212), and the Chinese Government Scholarship (Grant No. 2015GXYG37).

The thickness-dependent magnetic anisotropy of obliquely deposited Fe(001)/Pd thin films on Mg(001) is investigated by fitting the field-dependent resonant field curve using the Kittel equation. In this study, three Fe film samples with thicknesses of 50 monolayers (ML), 45 ML, and 32 ML deposited at 0°, 45°, and 55°, respectively, are used. The magnetic anisotropy constant obtained from ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra exhibits a dominant fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) at the normal deposition angle with larger Fe thickness. However, the in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA) is induced by a higher oblique deposition angle and a smaller thickness. Its hard axis lies between the [100] and [010] directions. The FMR data-fitting analysis yields a precise measurement of smaller contributions to the magnetic anisotropy, such as in-plane UMA. Due to MCA, when the magnetic field is weaker than the saturated field, the magnetization direction does not always align with the external field. The squared frequency-dependent resonant field measurement gives an isotropic Landé g-factor of 2.07. Our results are consistent with previous experiments conducted on the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) systems. Thus, a vector network analyzer ferromagnetic resonance (VNA-FMR) test-method for finding UMA in obliquely deposited Fe(001)/Pd bilayer ferromagnetic thin films, and determining the magnetic anisotropy constants with respect to the film normal deposition, is proposed.

A117 CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL GAIN OF FUNCTION MUTATION IN A NON-RECEPTOR TYROSINE KINASE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VERY EARLY ONSET INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE.

NOT PUBLISHED AT AUTHOR’S REQUEST Funding Agencies: CAG, CCC, CIHRHelmsley Charitable Trust, Chinese Government Scholarship

Coloured and low conductive fabrics by in situ laccase-catalysed polymerization

Chinese Government Scholarship under China Scholarship Council [grant No. 201606790036]; and by the Chinese Foundation Key projects of governmental cooperation in international scientific and technological innovation [grant No. 2016 YFE0115700]; and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. This work was also supported by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Competitiveness Operational Program [grant COP-A1.1.4-E-2015nr.30/01.09.2016]; and by the Project “Search-ON2: Revitalization of HPC infrastructure of UMinho” [grant NORTE-07-0162-FEDER-000086), co-funded by the North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The work was also supported by the FCT- Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia [grant SFRH/BD/121673/2016 and IF/00186/2015]

Thickness dependent manipulation of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in Fe-thin films by oblique deposition**Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2015CB921403 and 2016YFA0300701), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51427801, 11374350, and 51671212), and the Chinese Government Scholarship (Grant No. 2015GXYG37).

The uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of obliquely deposited Fe(001)/Pd film on MgO(001) substrate is investigated as a function of deposition angle and film thickness. The values of incidence angle of Fe flux relative to surface normal of the substrate are 0°, 45°, 55°, and 70°, respectively. In-situ low energy electron diffraction is employed to investigate the surface structures of the samples. The Fe film thicknesses are determined to be 50 ML, 45 ML, 32 ML, and 24 ML (1 ML = 0.14 nm) by performing x-ray reflectivity on the grown samples, respectively. The normalized remanent magnetic saturation ratio and coercivity are obtained by the longitudinal surface magneto-optical Kerr effect. Here, the magnetic anisotropy constants are quantitatively determined by fitting the anisotropic magnetoresistance curves under different fields. These measurements show four-fold cubic anisotropy in a large Fe film thickness (50 ML) sample, but highly in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropies in thin films (24 ML and 32 ML) samples. In the obliquely deposited Fe films, the coercive fields and the uniaxial magnetic anisotropies (UMAs) increase as the deposition angle becomes more and more tilted. In addition, the UMA decreases with the increase of the Fe film thickness. Our work provides the possibility of manipulating uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, and paves the way to inducing UMA by oblique deposition with smaller film thickness.

The Impact of Social Media on Cultural Adaptation Process: Study on Chinese Government Scholarship Students

In the globalization era, social media become more popular in everyone’s daily life with its user friendly and effective functions. Social media support the people across the world in communicating, meeting new people, making socialization, sharing knowledge, learning different experiences and interacting with each other instead of distance and separation between persons. Moreover, social media can encourage the increasing of intercultural adaptation level of people who are facing different cultural experiences in new communities. The study shows that people use social media to become more adaptable with the new cultures of the host countries and to preserve their connections with home countries. This paper attempts to find out how social media shape the intercultural adaptation process and bridge the connection with their home countries while they are in new community analyzing on 15 international students who are currently studying in China with the support of Chinese government scholarship program. In-depth interviews using qualitative method are applied in this research. Depending on the analysis result, the discussions are openly stated about the impact of social media in cultural adaptation process.

EU-China Education Diplomacy: An Effective Soft Power Strategy?

This article is intended to focus on the educational aspect of the soft diplomacy between the EU and China, with emphasis on the case study of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Programme created by the European Commission that funds hundreds of Chinese students and scholars every year to study in Europe and its equivalent in China - the Chinese Government Scholarship (EU Window). After an overview of the EU-China educational exchange and cooperation, the second section will examine how the EU and China develop education diplomacy in a cooperating manner. The third section will be dedicated to two case studies: the EU's Erasmus Mundus Programme, with focus on the Masters and Doctorate Scholarships for China, and the Chinese Government Scholarship (EU Window). It will present and analyse the results of two surveys specially designed to evaluate the impacts of both programmes on their Chinese and European beneficiaries. The article will conclude with evaluation of the effectiveness of EU-China education diplomacy and discussions of the potential constraints.

Estrogen receptor‐mediated protection of cerebral endothelial cell viability and mitochondrial function during ischemic conditions

We recently demonstrated 17ß‐estradiol (E) improves mitochondrial efficiency and reduces free radicals in brain blood vessels and endothelial cells. We hypothesized that during ischemic insult, E would protect brain endothelial mitochondrial function and enhance cell viability. To test this, oxygen‐glucose deprivation (OGD)/reperfusion was applied to immortalized mouse cerebral endothelial cells (bEnd.3) in culture. OGD‐induced cell death was prevented by long‐term (24, 48 h), but not short‐term (<24 h) pretreatment with E (10 nM). E also suppressed OGD‐induced translocation of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to nuclei. E inhibited lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage during OGD and reperfusion and also abrogated OGD‐induced ATP depletion. The latter effects were blocked by the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist, ICI‐182,780 and mimicked by an ERalpha‐selective agonst but not an ERbeta agonist. We found previously ERalpha stimulates mitochondrial protein expression and suppresses mitochondrial superoxide in brain endothelial cells. Together these findings suggest estrogen receptor‐mediated protection of mitochondrial function helps preserve cerebral endothelial cells during ischemic insult. [Supported by NIH Grant R01 HL‐50775 and Chinese Government Scholarship 20073020].

The Chinese Government Scholarship Program: An Effective Form of Foreign Assistance?

This study investigates the effectiveness of Chinese international education assistance through an examination of student experience in the Chinese Government Scholarship Program, an important mechanism of Chinese foreign aid. Grounded in Pascarella’s (1985) model of the impact of college on students, the study investigates participants’ level of satisfaction with their higher education experience in China and their perception of the role of the scholarship program in promoting positive relationships between China and the scholarship students’ home countries. Findings indicate that participants are generally satisfied with their experiences in China and are positive about the impact of the program in building friendships with their home countries. The authors discuss the implications of these findings in terms of China’s emerging prominence as a provider of international development assistance.