The number of Chinese students taking advantage of an Optional Practical Training (OPT¹) program in the US has seen growth for seven straight years, according to a report released last Tuesday.

上周二发布的一份报告显示，利用美国选择性实习训练（OPT）项目的中国学生数量已连续7年增长。

The OPT programs allow graduates to work in the field of their major area of study for a year in most cases.

多数情况下，OPT项目允许毕业生在其所学专业领域工作一年。

The number of Chinese graduates in such programs reached nearly 60,000 in the 2016-17 academic year, an increase of 14.6% from the previous year and more than five times the figure in the 2009-10 academic year, according to the 2017 Open Doors report by the Institute for International Education.

根据国际教育协会发布的《2017年门户开放报告》，2016-17学年，参加OPT项目的中国毕业生人数近6万，较上年增长14.6%，是2009-10学年的数字的5倍多。

OPT is a transitional period in which international students may be able to change from the status of student to employee.

OPT是国际学生有可能将学生身份转换为工作身份的过渡阶段。

The large number of OPT students reflects the value students see in acquiring work experience after graduation, which makes them more competitive in the job market, said Pauline Kao, a public affairs officer at the US consulate² in Shanghai.

美国驻上海领事馆新闻文化处官员高葆玲表示，OPT学生人数之多反映出留学生认识到在毕业后获得工作经验的价值：使他们在就业市场更具竞争力。

The Open Doors report also showed that China remains³ the leading place of origin for students going to the US for the eighth year, comprising 32.5% of all international students studying in the country. In the 2016-17 academic year, 350,755 students from China were studying in the US.

该报告还显示，中国连续第八年蝉联最大的留美学生生源国，中国留学生占在美就读国际学生总数的32.5%。2016-17学年，在美就读的中国学生人数达350755人。