We hear so much about ambitious Chinese students going abroad for higher education, but there's now an increasing amount of Chinese universities looking to establish a branch overseas. Peking University -- one of China's leading research institutions -- has opened its first overseas campus in the United Kingdom. Let's take a look at why Oxford was the chosen location.

200 years ago, China's first overseas campus, Ying Wa College, was established in Malacca, Malaysia with the help of the British. Ying Wa was later moved to Hong Kong. Now, 200 years later, a Chinese university is making another foray abroad with an overseas campus in England.

Located 5 kilometers southwest of the city of Oxford, Peking University's UK campus chose this place because of its abundant academic resources, as well as its open education policy.

Though it's been playing an active role in globalization, China has lagged behind in internationalizing its education. Foreign universities have been entering China for years to collaborate with Chinese universities, and at the same time weilding their soft power in education and culture. This time, a Chinese university is stepping out of the country, and heading to a much broader stage.

LIU SHAOJIA HEAD OF PEKING UNIVERSITY UK CAMPUS "The significance of Peking university setting up its own campus in the UK is that it will help to facilitate better understanding of China, including about its economy and culture. Furthermore, Peking university, as a leading university in China, can help academic knowledge flow not only from the west to the east, but also from the east to the west."

The campus will begin its first semester in Autumn. It offers master's degrees in finance, management and other economic subjects. It will mainly recruit students from the UK and other European countries. Students will have their first semester in the UK and their second in China's southern city of Shenzhen. Famous scholars from around Europe will be teaching there as visiting or honorary professors.

Finance Professor Carol Alexander says the changing global economy is shifting trade patterns and making the Chinese economy more important. So more and more students in the UK want to go to work in China instead of being in the UK or other European countries.

CAROL ALEXANDER PROFESSOR OF FINANCE "An education in this campus will give them things they need in terms of contacts, networks, companies that are interested in empolying them, so that they can leave UK for China at least for a while. I already know that young people who are choosing to do that. I think that is the first trickle, and soon will be the flood."

XI JIA BOARS HILL, OXFORDSHIRE A springboard to work in the east. This is a Chinese universities’ first attempt to recruit foreign students, self-manage and independently operate out of China. Peking university's first class education will surely help it to gain a good reputation in the UK. Xi Jia, CGTN, Oxfordshire, UK.