[Commentary] A global epidemic has stirred up the fierce study abroad market. Under the increasingly severe overseas epidemic situation, universities in major countries such as Britain and the United States have been closed one after another, and Chinese students have begun to return to China on a large scale due to lack of medical care, accommodation and other guarantees. With the recent cancellation of multiple language tests such as IELTS and TOEFL in China, it has also disrupted the plans of many “prospective international students”.

Chengdu senior student Jianxin Jing started preparing for studying in the UK as early as July 2019. Although she has received admission notices from three schools, her plan to study abroad is still under the influence of the epidemic. Stagnation "state.

[Same period] (Chengdu student Jian Xinjing) The school there, its own process has also been affected, it is quite a bit of a whimper. In addition, because of the entire epidemic, IELTS has been cancelled for three months, and there is no way to take the exam. Then I am not anxious about the language score now.

[Commentary] Jian Xinjing told reporters that neither her family nor friends around her approve of her going abroad at this stage. At present, in addition to continuing to wait, she can only postpone or cancel the study abroad program.

[Same period] (Chengdu student Jian Xinjing) I already have a friend who told me that he clearly wants to "gap" (suspend school) for one year, and he has suspended school for one year. Come. I don't really want me to go out this year at home, but I think it's too much trouble to come again next year and apply again. I want to see if the epidemic can be controlled in September.

[Explanation] The impact of the epidemic is not only reflected on the students, but also on the intermediary institutions for studying abroad. On April 9, the reporter came to a well-known overseas service organization in Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The general manager Wu Juan told reporters that some customers who have plans to go abroad are on the sidelines at this stage, and there are plans to prepare students for going abroad this year. Corresponding adjustment, the current customer traffic to the store has dropped to a certain extent.

[Same period] (Wu Juan, general manager of service agencies abroad) For students going out this year, parents are sure to have such a worry, so they are also thinking about changing some of their plans. Coupled with the fact that offline business of this language training cannot be carried out temporarily, it will also affect the overall situation of a business. This should be a common problem faced by the entire industry.

[Commentary] At the same time, Wu Juan said that although many customers are currently "conservative", on the whole, customers' needs and desires for studying abroad have not been greatly affected, and the demand for studying abroad is still in the market.

[Same period] (Wu Juan, general manager of service agencies abroad) In fact, there are many factors for a choice of studying abroad. The epidemic is only short-lived, so parents will only pay more attention to it during this period, and It's not that because it broke out, I chose not to go to this country in the future. Then at this time we may give him a more diversified plan, for example, in the case of improving our language, based on a development of the epidemic situation or a development based on the student's study abroad plan, then let him consider domestically. Studying at our international high school, and then going to study abroad after completing the international high school, is probably similar to such a more diverse choice.

[Commentary] For language training institutions that focus on offline business, although major institutions have "transformed" online, but with the cancellation of a large number of international language proficiency assessments, the "functionality" of online courses has weakened, and students have participated in Factors such as the reduction of training time, language training institutions also face huge challenges.

[Explanation] Liu Lu, a professor at the School of Economics of Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, said that studying abroad agencies have been greatly affected in the short term, but the students ’learning needs are still there. Overseas study institutions can respond to short-term difficulties by reducing costs and extending services. However, if you take a long-term view, what overseas study institutions may face is the transformation of the industry and the internal deep adjustment.

[Same period] (Professor Liu Lu, School of Economics, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics) If this problem is short-term, assuming that it can be solved within half a year, the intermediary must also actively adjust its operating status. For example, compressing some costs includes some unnecessary stores, reducing area, compressing rental expenses, etc. It can also dig deep into the value of its extension as a study abroad agent. But the assumption is that this epidemic is in a relatively serious situation for a long time, and then our country's prevention and control of the epidemic will also be normalized. For the study of the entire industry, it may also have a great impact. This involves some transformation. Problem.

Yang Yubin reports from Chengdu, Sichuan

Responsible editor: [Luo Pan]