There are more than 2,000 universities in China which are under the Ministry of Education. The majority of these institutions are public universities; private universities make up roughly 1 percent of the total number of universities.
The Chinese government has worked to continually improve the quality of higher education in China, with reforms such as Project 985 and Project 211.
Financial support for universities comes from three sources: central government, provincial government and local government. Private development is not as common in China as in other countries, for example, the United States. University alumni do not have the same type of relationship with their alma mater as in other parts of the world. Many universities, such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong, are not only heavily supported by the central government, but also receive additional support from local (provincial) government. These schools are in provinces with high economic growth; therefore local governments choose to provide additional financial support to increase the quality of local education. The use of a portion of the funding received is left to the discretion of the local university. Some of these funds are allocated to scholarships for study abroad programs, while other gifts are designated for student mobility or research initiatives.
As the growth of higher education has leveled off, universities are now looking at curricular development and improving the quality of education. There is an increased emphasis on rankings and internationalization of campuses in China. This has created a strong movement for universities to partner with foreign schools to increase opportunities for student mobility. For funding reasons, it is important that partnership agreements are memorialized in writing, usually by contract.
Based on recent news in higher education, it is apparent that more and more Chinese students are going abroad for a variety of programs; full degree, semester abroad, summer programs, enrichment programs and English language. However, in real terms, this still represents a small percentage of the total number of students in China, and even less when compared to the population as a whole. It is for this reason that both central government and local governments encourage students to take advantage of various international education opportunities. The Chinese government encourages students to return to China after their time abroad to further promote international study among Chinese students, and integrate into the Chinese culture.