Italy
Milan, the fashion capital, football superstar Baggio, as well as Versace, Prada, Gucci... Italy, which has many "world famous brands", is not in the self-financed study abroad market. It is an unpopular country. According to statistics, there were only 40 and 70 Chinese students studying in Italy in 2003 and 2004 respectively. As the "China-Italy Culture Year" approaches in 2006 and the exchanges between China and Italy become increasingly close, Italy has gradually become a new direction for Chinese students to study abroad. It is reported that nearly 500 students studied in Italy in 2005, and in 2006 the Italian government will provide another 1,500 study abroad places for Chinese students. So, is the time ripe for Chinese students to study in Italy? What is unique about higher education in Italy? What problems do Chinese students encounter?
Southern Network News increases efforts to attract Chinese students. In order to attract Chinese students to study in Italy, the Italian University Rectors Foundation specially formulated a "Marco Polo Plan" at the end of last year. More than 40 Italian universities participated in the plan. Provide convenience for Chinese students from three aspects: 1. Relevant departments of the two countries will set up offices in China and Italy respectively to provide consulting services to Chinese students, including information on the professional settings, learning environment and other information of Italian schools; 2. Relevant Italian institutions will Fund some Chinese scholars to conduct research in Italian scientific research institutions; third, the foundation will arrange for some Chinese university graduates to participate in professional internships in Italian companies. The Cultural Office of the Italian Embassy in China has also cooperated with the University of Florence to tailor a master's degree program specifically for Chinese students. The academic duration is one year and the majors include cultural relics protection, art design, law and agriculture. At the two large-scale international education exhibitions held this year, Italy even organized a group to participate in the exhibition. More than a dozen famous universities, including the National University of Milan, participated in the exhibition, which can be said to be unprecedented.
Italy will increase its efforts to attract Chinese students. According to the plan, the Italian government will provide 1,500 study abroad places for Chinese students in 2006, and more than 30 well-known universities will participate in the enrollment, including more than 70 famous Italian public schools such as the University of Milan, the University of Rome, the University of Perugia, and the University of Florence. Applications will begin in April next year.
In addition, the Italian Consulate General in Shanghai will set up a visa application center in Shanghai from November 4 this year. The visa center is located in the Guangdong Development Bank in Xuhui District. It provides various types of visa services. It accepts applications according to the appointment time and submits them to the Consulate General in a timely manner. The Consulate General will arrange interviews and assessments in the shortest possible time. At the same time, Italy has also launched a relevant website www.i-talyvac.cn. Applicants can learn about the application process in a timely manner through online inquiries or hotline calls.
Three "selling points" of higher education
According to Chen Jun, a senior consultant for studying abroad in Italy, Italian higher education has unique advantages, but it is just "unknown to people who grew up in a boudoir."
■All public universities are free
Italian higher education has a long history, and many universities have a history of more than 500 years. There are 77 comprehensive universities in Italy, most of which are public universities, all of which are tuition-free. In Italy, there is little difference in the teaching quality between public universities and private universities, and their degrees and diplomas are globally recognized. Italian universities implement a policy of easy entry and strict exit, with relatively low admission requirements. Anyone who has graduated from high school can apply. But if students don’t work hard, they may not graduate within the prescribed time limit. Usually the short-term undergraduate program lasts for 3 years, the long-term undergraduate program lasts for 5 years, the master's program lasts for 1-2 years, and the doctoral program lasts for 3 years.
■The design profession is world-class
Italy is the birthplace of the European Renaissance and has a profound artistic heritage. Therefore, Italian higher education leads the world in music, painting, fashion design, sculpture, archeology, cultural relic protection, architecture, etc., and is also distinctive in physics, philosophy, law, medicine, and agriculture. Design majors are the flagship products of Italian higher education, such as industrial design, fashion design, architectural design, jewelry design, etc. In addition, the economic engineer course is also very suitable for Chinese students. It is equivalent to the MBA in the United Kingdom and the United States, and the academic length is 5 years.
■You can work while studying
Italian law stipulates that foreign students can work 20 hours a week. Based on the Italian labor wage standard of 60 yuan/hour, Chinese students can earn about 4,000-5,000 yuan per month, which can greatly reduce the financial burden. But for Chinese students with weak language skills, there are not many job opportunities.
Three points to note when studying in Italy
■Language threshold
Most courses in Italian universities are taught in Italian, and foreign students are required to take a language test for admission. Chinese students’ first foreign language is English, and their foundation in Italian is weak. Moreover, relevant training is rare in China. Currently, only a few training institutions such as Shanghai Oufeng Training Center and Shanghai International Language Training Institute provide Italian training services.
■Cumbersome procedures
The application procedures for studying in Italy are relatively complicated and require applicants to provide a lot of supporting materials, which discourages many Chinese students. In this regard, the Italian Culture Department and the Visa Office are considering simplifying visa procedures, but it will take some time to change this status quo.
■Poor channels
Because Italy has just opened up the study abroad market and there is a language barrier, the channels for Chinese students to learn about studying in Italy are not smooth. It is understood that this year many universities in Italy provided 1,500 places to Chinese applicants, but these were wasted because most students did not understand them.
Related links
Recommended Italian famous schools → University of Milan: one of the largest universities in Italy, with 70 graduate schools and 77 degree courses. Its strengths are science, Engineering and Medicine.
→University of Rome: Italy's largest national university, with 21 colleges and 130 departments. English-taught courses include master's degrees in government management, humanistic affairs, etc.
→University of Florence: a representative of Italy’s modern institutions of higher learning, very famous for its architecture major.
→University of Padua: *** has 13 colleges, which are strong in the research of culture and natural sciences, especially in the field of medical research.
→ Marangoni Institute of Fashion Design: Known as the most famous fashion school in Italy and one of the top three professional fashion schools in the world. The faculty of the college come from senior figures in the fashion industry, and students have abundant internship opportunities.
→Italy European School of Design: Known as the "cradle of designers", it has branches in Milan, Rome, Berlin, etc., including the School of Design, the School of Fashion, the School of Graphic Arts, and the New Technology Network School, etc. , professional courses include industrial design, fashion design, jewelry design, photography, etc.
→Bologna Academy of Art: It has a high artistic status in Europe. Professional courses include painting, decoration, drama design, etc., as well as many elective courses, such as painting restoration, photography, aesthetics, and stone sculpture. Craftsmanship etc.
→Naples Conservatoire: With a history of hundreds of years, it has trained many famous musicians. The curriculum covers almost all music fields, such as opera singing, guitar, composition, orchestral conducting, jazz, piano, etc.
France
Tuition fees: As one of the top four economies in Western countries, France attaches great importance to the development of science and technology and education. Every year, the government invests 20% of its fiscal budget on education, making it one of the countries with the highest investment in the world. In 1998, France liberalized its study abroad policy, allowing international students from all over the world to enjoy welfare policies such as free tuition at public universities and housing subsidies.
As the number of college students in France increases day by day, housing is a major problem that troubles students and the government, especially in the Paris University District. Experts suggest that you should avoid cities with housing shortages such as Paris and sign an overall study abroad contract with an agency company that includes accommodation terms.
France is also a high-welfare country. International students can apply for a student housing subsidy of 20%-40% of the rent. When entering the third stage of university study, they can apply for a student allowance of 600 to 900 euros. The approximate costs are as follows: Accommodation: The fees for various types of dormitories vary. After applying for a housing subsidy, the fees range from 90 to 180 euros. If you are staying in a French home or renting a private house, you can apply for housing subsidy depending on the house. Long-term accommodation in hotels and guesthouses is expensive, and some of them cannot apply for housing subsidy. The cost of food and drinks is about 80 to 120 euros per month. Monthly transportation ticket: average about 25 euros/month. Other costs: around 45 euros.
Language: The TEF test is a unified test of French proficiency recognized by the French Embassy. It is currently the main reference score for French higher education institutions to evaluate the French proficiency of applicants. It has also become a language condition for French companies to hire overseas employees. The French TEF proficiency test focuses on a comprehensive assessment of French abilities such as French understanding and French expression. The full set of test questions lasts for ***150 minutes, and the full score is 900 points.
Professional selection: Some French universities have launched new master's courses for Chinese undergraduate graduates and three-year college graduates, using a teaching method that connects master's preparatory courses and master's degree courses, shortening the class time, and students Those who pass the exam can obtain a national master's degree under the new French academic system.
France is better than Italy, with complete welfare and more
And it is easier to go to France than Italy
Italy has just started to increase the number of tourists in the past two years. Study abroad quota in China
There are very few Chinese there