I completely believe in the American statement: "A mind is a terrible thing to waste!" Francis Bacon's statement that knowledge is power is true as we are now living in an information and knowledge society. As an educator all of my professional life, it is quite natural that I consider education the best and most efficient way to spread knowledge. History has certainly proven that whoever emphasizes education and knowledge becomes strong. In America, for example, all children are required to attend school until they are sixteen. More and more students are going to college or university now in the US. There are 3500 colleges and universities.
One of the important entrances to college and university life is the community college which allows any student who has graduated from high school or who has achieved the GED (General Education Diplomacy), to enter the community college. There he or she can work toward a two year Associate degree, or can increase skills, or can simply enjoy continuing education. Many students who complete the requirements at community colleges can then develop the competence to enter four-year colleges or universities, very often with great success. Community colleges are also more affordable than regular state, private or religious colleges and universities.
The Ministry of Education in China has been very interested in adopting the American model of community colleges, and presently there are about a dozen such colleges in China, with more to follow as the experiment becomes more and more successful.
Additionally, the Chinese government has clearly recognized the value of having its students become more and more competent through university and post graduate education. On a regular basis, more and more students are taking various certificate exams. More than 126, 000 Chinese students are now taking the annual post graduate exam. Recently, 80, 000 students have studied in the United States, and thousands more are studying in other countries annually. It is clear that China highly values education as a means of its continuing opening up policy, and in making the country more and more self-sufficient by a large group of well-educated citizens. The country will get stronger and stronger as more and more people are well educated, not only at the undergraduate university level, but also with persons holding the master's degree or doctorate. In many aspects, China has already begun to move from the stage of a developing country to a highly developed country because of its cooperation with leaders, transworld corporations, and the educational institutions in already developed countries. Soon, China will be a leader in education, as is being seen by students from Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Africa, and other regions applying for study in China.