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We update you on the most essential news from Asia in tech, media, and business—the things you need to know that you probably haven’t heard in Western media.
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Chinese Students Feel Anxiety from New U.S. Rules 🎓
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced that foreign students taking fully online classes in the fall semester will face consequences including having to leave the country. Many universities announced their intention to go completely virtual in the upcoming semester to ensure appropriate protections against Covid. Also, many international students might currently be in their home countries because of the coronavirus and thought they could dial-in through online classes. Some US universities like Cornell have allowed their foreign students to “study away,” meaning the student can attend a local university in their home country while still being officially registered as a student at Cornell. But under the new ICE regulation, this might not be allowed and disqualify foreign students from holding US visas.
China is the single largest source of international students for U.S. universities, with around 370,000 currently studying in the US. Right now, Chinese social media is blowing up with students freaking out about how their plans are going to be disrupted. This new regulation might cause a decrease in Chinese students both in the short and medium term, similar to what I wrote about Korean students a few days ago. I was an international student on an F1 Student Visa in the U.S. for seven years and know the process intimately, excruciatingly well. Regardless of the inefficiencies or incompetencies with the current process, I doubt any foreign student or US university wants this new ICE rule to happen.
British Museum Hosts Livestream During Lockdown 🖼
The British Museum partnered with Chinese companies Fliggy and Taobao to host a two-hour livestream on June 30. Around 370,000 Chinese fans tuned in to watch an curated virtual tour around the museum. Viewers were able to see real-time Chinese translations and interact with other viewers through comments. They were able to purchase British Museum merchandise through pop-up links directly within the app.
The museum has been pretty forward thinking when it comes to social media and focusing on Asian audiences. They were cultivating followers on Weibo and WeChat all throughout the 2010s and were the first international museum to launch on Tmall, Alibaba’s online retail platform. The museum made $51 Million in their first year selling products like jewellery, stationery, and art to Chinese audiences.
The coronavirus has forced cultural institutions to explore new marketing strategies, communications tools and business models. The Fliggy app already partnered with tourism boards across Finland, France, Germany, Serbia, and the UK to host a five-day travel-themed livestream earlier in May. There is still strong demand for pairing Chinese viewers with Western cultural destinations, even in this moment of restricted travel.
The Gaokao Hopes and Dreams 👩🎓
When I took the SATs back in high school in the US, it seemed like a pretty big deal at the time. But for Chinese high schoolers, the pressure to perform on the Gaokao is magnified. The Gaokao (formally known as the National College Entrance Examination) is the single most important college entrance exam in China, which currently 10 million students are taking across three days between July 7-9.
The coronavirus has disrupted the traditional school schedules, test preparation structures, and general mental health of China’s student population. The Gaokao was delayed by one month this year and Chinese authorities have created additional health and safety measures around the actual testing locations. No matter what is going on in the rest of the world, as you read this there are ten million Chinese high school students furiously taking the Gaokao, powered by their hopes and dreams.
Update #22 - Chinese Students, Virtual Museums, and The Gaokao