European managers hesitate to join China study programme

BRUSSELS - A European managers exchange programme worth €23 million has managed to send only one third of the number of students possible under the scheme to study in China.

"The Chinese are very eager to learn from the Europeans and a lot more interested in coming to Europe than we are in going to China. They send their elites to the programme," Stefan Hell, team leader of the EU-China Managers Exchange and Training Programme (METP) said.

"We also think it is because Europeans have more opportunities," he added, regretting that the programme had not been able to find enough qualified European applicants to fill places, even though the number of students has grown year-by-year.

The scheme is a four-year co-operation project between the European Commission and the Government of the People's Republic of China.

Operating on a €23 million budget from the European Commission, the programme is geared to exchange 200 Chinese and 200 European managers, but so far only one third of the total slot for European students has been filled.

Mainly East Europeans have taken advantage of the programme, while very few from the so-called old member states have made it to China under the scheme.

"Not knowing about the programme is a main reason for not applying," Mr Hell explained adding that many top-managers in particular of small companies have difficulties in convincing their boss they should be allowed to go.

In fact the programme has very much served as a tax-financed helping hand to smaller European companies wanting to start business in China.

Fresh statistics shows, that all of the 56 European April graduates are still in China doing business for their company or hired for other jobs in China.

Speaking to journalists in Brussels Mr Hell said it was a positive surprise that all of the European graduates had stayed in China.

"This is what we hoped would happen," he said, adding that in contrast all of the Chinese students had gone back to China after their graduation in Europe.

"They are simply not allowed to stay in Europe," Mr Hell explained. Before going to Europe they have also paid a large deposit securing they would want to return home.

In total 212 Europeans have been accepted to the programme since it started in 2006, while the Chinese have filled all their 600 positions. A fourth and last course is starting in spring 2009.