Tony Wang, president of 3W International Education Institution Photo: Courtesy of 3W International Education Institution

Since the late 1970s, China has witnessed three booms of students going abroad to study. The first wave was almost all visiting scholars, who worked abroad as part of cultural exchanges. The second wave, which kicked off in the mid 1980s, consisted of people studying abroad for their masters or doctoral degrees. The third wave, which kicked off in about 2000, involved an increasing number of undergraduate students. As society develops, people are attaching more and more importance to overseas education. Attention is increasingly focusing on younger students, who have not yet entered university.

Tony Wang, president of 3W International Education Institution (known as UCSE in China), absolutely supports the idea of  young students going abroad to study. He considers the experience as pivotal for both overall growth and also picking up specialized skills.

Wang studied abroad when he was in junior high school. Following in his parents footsteps, Wang started his business in 2009. As a person with a deep level of experience, he understands the difference in education between China and foreign countries, and insists that students should go abroad at an early age. "Studying abroad starting from senior high school is best. Recent studies show it takes a person seven years of cultural immersion to understand a different country and culture," he said.

3W International Education Institution is engaged in the operation of international student programs of private high schools. It takes responsibility for the education of Chinese young people when they study abroad. Simultaneously, 3W is also strategy partners with organizations like the Clinton Global Initiative, the United Nations Development Program and the National Catholic Education Association.

Currently, 3W is the largest Chinese international education institution. It is involved with primary and secondary schools, as well as service projects for students of international high schools. 3W helps schools to recruit students, sets the admission standards and evaluates students' applications.

"I think the most important benefits from studying abroad are the growth of knowledge and the expansion of a student's horizons. Studying abroad also teaches students how to manage themselves and plan for the future. Presently, there are about 50,000 to 60,000 Chinese students attending high school in the United States. In the future, I hope more children can have the chance for foreign study," said Wang.