Chinese Students in Korea Make Money from Korean Wave

Chinese students in Korea are less likely than their counterparts from other countries to work in low-grade jobs in convenience stores or waiting tables to pay their tuition. Instead they provide shopping services, work as tour guides or advertise Korean goods among Chinese buyers.

The easiest way for Chinese students to make money here is to shop for buyers back in China. They buy Korean cosmetics 60-70 percent cheaper in wholesale markets and send them to acquaintances in China.

Foreigners can register as business operators if they buy more than W500,000 (US$1=W1,112) worth of goods in their first transaction. Once registered, they can still buy smaller quantities at wholesale prices.

They can make profit margins of up to 60 percent if they buy goods here and sell them in China at list prices.

Bilingual speakers of Chinese and Korean can also make decent money as tour guides due to a surge in demand from growing numbers of Chinese tourists. "Chinese students are highly trusted by Chinese tourists," a tour operator said.

Some make money from online advertising for Korean culture and products as the Chinese market grows. Companies and regional governments are hiring Chinese students as their marketers to promote their products or local goods on Chinese social media like Weibo.

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Scuffles Break Out as Students Protest in Central London

Scuffles broke out and missiles were thrown at police as thousands of students marched through the center of London on Wednesday to protest against a rise in higher education fees.

Some 5,000 demonstrators marched to Parliament Square where a small group broke away and breached temporary barriers to confront police outside the Houses of Parliament.

"Various missiles were thrown at the officers," Scotland Yard said in a statement. Three officers suffered minor injuries. By mid-afternoon there had been no arrests, it added.

The breakaway group later attacked a nearby Starbucks coffee shop and threw chairs from another restaurant at police, witnesses said.

Wednesday's march was the first mass protest by students in the British capital for three years.

Four protests against Prime Minister David Cameron's austerity measures shortly after he came to power in 2010 led to clashes with police, assaults on public buildings including the headquarters of Cameron's Conservative Party, and almost 400 arrests.

Students are angry at Cameron's government decision to hike tuition fees and they have been joined by other campaigners unhappy with spending cuts.

"Today we are marching through London in what is likely to be the biggest demonstration in several years," the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts said on its website. "We could well be on the verge of a new wave of student activism."

It addition to Wednesday's march, students were also planning walkouts and occupations of campus buildings.

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U.S. Hosts Record 866,000 Foreign Students

Close to 900,000 international students are studying at American universities and colleges, more than ever before. About half of them come from Asia, mostly China. The United States hosts more foreign students than any other country in the world, and its foreign student population is steadily growing.

A new report from the Institute of International Education says that in the academic year 2013-2014, more than 886,000 foreign students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions, an increase of 8 percent over the year before. There are now twice as many international students in the U.S. than only a decade ago. That trend is driven to a large extent by incoming undergraduate students from China.

"In the U.S. they emphasize class discussions, and your opinion, and the capacity to debate with others, such as professor or teacher, and that is an atmosphere I want to experience," said Eric Xu, a Chinese student studying at Columbia University, in New York.

While the enrollment of Chinese students continues to grow, the past academic year saw a significant increase in students from Kuwait, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and even Iran. More than 4 percent of the students in U.S. higher education institutions are foreigners. Educators say the presence of foreign students in American schools is beneficial, and that about 4,000 U.S. colleges and universities can accommodate more.

"We know that international students contribute significantly to U.S. classrooms and campuses through their global perspectives and by providing international exposure to those American students who may never have the opportunity to study overseas," said Rajika Bhandari, Vice President of the Institute of International Education.

Enrollment of students from abroad also adds to the U.S. economy.

"This year, $27 billion was contributed to our economy at the local state and national levels, through payments for tuition, housing and other costs," said Evan Ryan, Assistant Secretary of State for education.

The U.S. State Department and the Department of Education also promote study abroad for U.S. students.

"We believe that study abroad can increase American competitiveness by enabling U.S. students to acquire language skills as well as the regional and global perspectives necessary to succeed in the 21st century," said Ryan.

About 290,000 U.S. students went to study abroad in 2012-2013 for academic credit.? Europe, especially Britain, remains the number one destination for American students, but the latest "Open Door" report shows that more students now choose to go to Latin American countries and China.

"China now is the number five host country for U.S. students, hosting over 14,000 American students," said Christine Farrugia of the International Institute of Education.

While U.S. schools continue to attract young people from all over the world, student exchanges among other countries also are on the rise.

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