Warwick or Wuxi...I'm not sure?

I have just enjoyed a brilliant week living on the Campus of Warwick University where I am studying for an MBA.

What struck me the most was the sheer number of Chinese students. With no exaggeration, it appears to be almost one in two of the early returnees for the new school year are Chinese. Even the Costcutter Supermarket has a Chinese food aisle to cater for the specialist needs of the new Warwick student demographic.

The funniest thing I have noticed, however, is that you never see just one Chinese student. They are always in pairs or groups, and these are always exclusively Chinese groups. Whilst I have some sympathy for these youngsters being far away from home and wanting to be close to their Middle Kingdom comrades, it remains a trait of the Chinese to not fully integrate into other societies.

This is a shame. The Chinese have so much to give, but also so much to learn from, the rest of the world. For a Chinese student to get the maximum benefit from their UK University education, they should avoid creating little "China Towns" on Campus, and should instead become a part of modern, multi-cutural, embracing Britain - at least for their two or three years.

We would all benefit from the increased interaction, and it would help ensure that China, and more importantly the Chinese, become better understood as they prepare to take centre stage.