Studying Abroad: The Mightiest Movement in Modern Chinese History

After the 1980s, as China implemented its economic reform and open-door policy, Chinese interest in overseas education intensified among not only scholars but also the general public, and the number of Chinese students going abroad has grown sharply. Their increasing visibility also attracted scholars’ attention and some works dealing with Chinese students were published. But even these studies and all studies on Chinese students and intellectuals in the West failed to provide a comprehensive picture of their contributions to China and leave a crucial lacuna in judging the extent and the influence of the movement. Indeed, despite its obvious significance, China’s Study Abroad Movement has long been an under-researched subject. This paper will shed new light on its role and importance in modern Chinese history: The Study Abroad Movement has determined the trajectory of modern Chinese history; many of those who have returned from studying abroad were the leaders and escorts of modern Chinese political, economic, social and cultural developments. The current studying abroad policy was uttered by the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping who delivered a speech on March 18, 1978 advocating scholars and students studying abroad. Deng deeply believed that sending Chinese students to study overseas would help China grow stronger and better. Since the arrival of 52 Chinese in the United States on December 26, 1978, more than seven million Chinese have traveled abroad to study, which is the largest wave of studying abroad in the history of the world. Deng’s policy, however, was old when it was articulated.