Julie Newlan, pro vice-chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire, which has nearly 400 Chinese students, accounting for 16 percent of the total international students, says: "We're proud of the diversity of our growing international students group. We do not have a cap for Chinese students, but we will have a balance.
"No one wants to go to a university where they are the students from only their area."
Meanwhile, the university is working with Chinese universities on exchange programs for both students and teachers.
She says the role of both China and the UK is to provide relevant and up-to-date education, so students can walk out and join industry and practice what they learn.
Speaking about her experience at a UK university, Bi Yalin, 22, a digital media art major from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, who is at the University of Hertfordshire for her senior year as an exchange program, says: "Being in the UK has made me more independent in my studies and in life. I've brushed up my English and broadened my horizons.
"I now know about what overseas studies mean and I plan to apply for postgraduate studies."
According to Alexandra Grace, counselor (education) at the New Zealand embassy in Beijing, the country is also seeing a growing trend of younger Chinese students going overseas to study. In 2015, there were 7,000 school students from China in New Zealand, up 47 percent over the previous year.
New Zealand has only eight universities, but all of them are in the top 500 of the QS World University Rankings.
"The quality of education counts. Also, we are a safe and welcoming country," she says.
Grace says the country is recognized for its quality of applied education, in the way that the theoretical merges with practical.
"The day they graduate from the institutes of technology, they can start working because they know what the industry requires."
Also at the event, are officials from Dubai to promote their educational offerings.
"We have about 30 branch campuses from 11 countries such as the United States. So, you don't have to travel to those countries and have access to more choices in Dubai," says Abdulla Al Karam, chairman of the board of directors of Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
Chinese students mainly study business and management in Dubai, and there are a total of 50,000 Chinese students in Dubai's universities as of now.
