Beijing International Education Exchange Center (BIEEC) has recently launched an International Volunteer Home Stay Program for hosting international students.

Host family programs are very common in developed countries. During the last decade, China has loosened restriction for foreign exchange and lodging, prompting a surge in Beijing host families. However, the market lacked a system and unified management.

Following the successful example of "Olympic families", which hosted tourists during the 2008 Olympics, BIEE's program decided to standardize the service for exchange students. It aims to regulate homestay services and alleviate the current shortage of student-exchange lodging.

BIEE believes host families can help foreign students understand China at a more complex level and also improve their language skills. It said exchange programs could push Beijing toward becoming a "world city" and boost the international impression of the country.

As the first of its kind in China, BIEE has set the standard for selecting host families. In order to apply for the program, each host family is required to have good communication skills, a vacant bed and a home near the relevant exchange school.

BIEE intends to help up to 500 host families within the next two years and said it will push for shared lodging resources across the five provinces near Beijing.

Each host family will also be allocated an official profile. BIEE has hired professors and teachers to rank host families as "Science Homes," "Culinary Homes," and "Artistic Homes".

Shang Xiaoai, a media executive with the Home Stay Program, said they have received 150 applicants for host families, more than they expected.

These families will host the first group of international students during this year's winter holiday.

During the two weeks, international students will tour around Beijing.

"The selected host families are very excited," Shang said.

(China Daily July 16, 2010)