由温总理送给剑桥大学礼物想到的
－英镑贬值、高层互访、教育展频繁，09英国留学渐入佳境
2月23日，剑桥大学的网页上出现了这样一条新闻：“中国国家总理温家宝访问英国期间，恰逢剑桥８００年校庆。温总理代表中国给剑桥大学赠送了２０万册的电子版中文图书，这是剑桥大学图书馆６５０历史上获得的最大的一次性捐赠。也使得剑桥大学图书馆成为英国拥有中国藏书数量最多的图书馆和全世界除中国之外最大的中国藏书图书馆。”
与此相对应的，随着英镑的持续贬值和中英高层频繁互动，2009年的英国留学市场，正在渐入佳境。
2008年12月30日，人民币对英镑汇率中间价大幅上涨1496个基点报9.8975，首次突破10元的整数关口，迈入“9”时代。2009，英国留学的平民时代终于来临了。从澳际英国留学中心2008年申请数据来看，中国学生申请比例最高的课程种类为硕士课程（占31％），选择地区比例最高的当属英格兰地区（占57％），申请专业比例最高的是商科（占36％），所以，在此我们选取比例最高的英格兰地区院校、商科、硕士的费用来进行比较和分析。我手边刚好有一个杜伦大学（Durham）商学院的通知书，就用这个举例吧：
专业：MA Financial Management
学院：School of Economics，Finance and Business
系： Social Science and Health
学术： Dr Graham Dietz
学制： One year full-time
开学日期：05 October 2009
学费： 12000英镑
下面我们来计算一下相应的花费：学费12000镑＋生活费7000镑＝19000镑（学费和生活费的选取都采用了中偏高的指标）
如学生2008年10月入学，需要花费19000*15.5＝29万4500元人民币；
如学生2009年10月入学，需要花费19000*9.8＝18万6200元人民币；
现在看出差别有多大了吧？如果学生选择的是学费为8000英镑的商学院，平时生活比较节俭（生活费5000镑），基本拿到一个英国硕士学位只需要：12万7400元人民币，这是多么惊人的数字！难怪我的同事无奈地跟我说：“孙南同志，哪天我得跟你请个假去英国再念一个硕士学位去，现在实在太便宜了，这样至少可以把我原来的留学成本摊平一下……。”
在中国学生纷纷将留学目的国圈定英国后，英国大学方面也相当配合：
2009年2月26日，澳际春季国际教育盛典在北京天伦王朝饭店隆重开幕，100余所大学参展，人声鼎沸，盛况空前。
2009年2月28日～3月1日，第十四届中国国际教育巡回展将于国贸中心展览大厅举行，届时将有来自近30个国家和地区的400余所高校和教育机构参展。英国文化协会组织了60余所经英国政府认证的英国院校参加本次教育展，院校类型包括高等院校、继续教育学院、语言学校、艺术设计院校以及酒店和旅游管理院校等，为有意留学英国的学生展示多种选择。另外，今年的英国教育展区还将带来全新的体验式展览及专门的出国金融信息咨询。
所以同学们，是时候准备了！
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Chinese Premier’s e-book gift to University Library
23 February 2009
Cambridge University Library is now home to one of the world’s largest collections of Chinese monographs – following the gift of 200,000 electronic books by the country’s Premier.
Wen Jiabao, Premier of the People's Republic of China, visited the University recently as part of the University's 800th Anniversary celebrations.
The gift is one of the largest single donations received in the University Library's 650-year history and almost doubles the number of electronic books at its disposal.
The donation was presented to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard, in a short ceremony before Premier Wen's delivery of the 2008-2009 Rede Lecture.
The 200,000 titles in the donation have been selected to complement the Library's existing Chinese holdings, and comprise books published since 1992 in the humanities, including classical and modern Chinese language and literature, history, geography, politics, economics, law, philosophy, religion, social sciences, military affairs, culture, education and art.
University Librarian Peter Fox said: "Our Chinese collections, already among the finest in the world in terms of range and quality, have been spectacularly launched into the electronic era thanks to Premier Wen's munificent gift, and now provide even more comprehensive support for the future development of Chinese Studies in Cambridge."
The collection of e-books, specially selected for Cambridge, is accompanied by an elegant scroll bearing the Chinese title "China Digital Library" inscribed in the Premier's own calligraphy. Following the gift, it is believed the University Library now holds the biggest collection of Chinese monographs in the UK.
China's provision of electronic publications is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The digital publishing and e-book technology used in the digital library platform presented to Cambridge were developed by Founder Apabi Technology Ltd of Peking University.
The Chinese collection of Cambridge University Library includes inscribed oracle bones dating from the 13th century BC; over 100,000 printed book titles, the earliest of which dates from the 12th century AD; manuscripts, paintings, rubbings and other artefacts.
The first Chinese book entered the Library as early as 1632. Significant additions to the Library's Chinese holdings were made in the years immediately following the Second World War and systematic purchasing of new Chinese publications has continued ever since.
Generous gifts from China have continued down the years, including many obtained through the mediation of Dr Joseph Needham (1900-95). In 1986, 4,468 volumes were presented by the Government of the People's Republic of China, and as recently as last November, State Councillor Madame Liu Yandong donated a set of 140 volumes.
The latest gift from Premier Wen Jiabao, however, eclipses all previous donations of Chinese books. It has increased the number of Chinese book titles available to members of Cambridge University by two-thirds to over 300,000, the largest number of any library in the UK and among the largest outside China.