The objective of this study is to explore the empirical impact of trade openness on gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Researchers have not given the externalities of trade openness the deserved scholarly attention. In this work, we propose to account for human capital accumulation (HCA) as an additional dimension of economic trade integration. To address the potential endogeneity issue, we use the system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator developed for dynamic panel data models. The results outline an intriguing indirect relationship between trade openness and GDP growth. If HCA is taken into account as an intervening variable, trade may have a negative impact on GDP growth when countries exhibit a low level of HCA. Thus, the indirect relationship between trade openness and HCA was studied in depth, and to the best of our knowledge, this research is the first to examine this relationship in both developed and developing countries over a 34-year period (1980–2014). The established GMM-centric thresholds are robust to alternative estimation techniques and measurements of trade openness. Policy implications are discussed.

In recent years there has been an increase in the enrollment of Muslim international students in higher education institutions in China. This research provides a brief overview of the issues that international Muslim students face during their campus life, such as adopting a new culture, lack of understanding from the broader university community, poor cultural or religious-responsive education, lack of accommodation for religious practices, and social isolation. This qualitative study also highlights some information about the unique needs of the Muslim students on campus and identifies areas for improvement. To overcome these issues, specific practical suggestions are given to the university administration, faculty, and staff to meet the needs of Muslim students, not only academically, but also socially and culturally.

Multi-Culture and Chinese Minority Education at the Turn of the 21st Century Most countries in the world are multi-ethnic. According to the 2004 United Nations Development Programme (2004) human development report, out of nearly 200 countries, two-thirds have at least 10 % of their population comprised of ethnic or religious minority groups (p. 2). China is a multi-ethnic nation, with 56 officially identified ethnic groups. Among them the largest is the Han, and the other 55 are known as ethnic minorities, given their much smaller populations. China conducted its fifth national census on November 1, 2000 and found that its total population was 1,265.83 million (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan). Of this, the Han ethnicity comprised 1,159.4 million, or 91.59 % of the national total, and that of the 55 ethnic minorities amounted to 106.43 million, or 8.41 % of the national total (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2001). Though the population of ethnic minorities was less than 10 % of the total population, their distribution across the country was very broad, spread across 64 % of the total land territory (Wang, 2004). Minorities and their education is a key governance issue for pluralistic societies. For ethnic minorities in multi-ethnic countries, receiving education in the school system is not only a means of entering mainstream society and gaining social status, but also an effective way of preserving and inheriting traditional culture. Before the "Eastward spread of Western learning" () at the end of 19th century, minority ethnic groups in China usually imparted their history, beliefs, and characteristics to their children through family stories, rituals, and court schools. The Han imparted Confucian knowledge through private schools, colleges, and national schools with the purpose of "moralizing and cultivating people to be the best" (Tu, 1997, p. 359). Sometimes, the Han set up a united regime, founding official schools in minority area, or recruiting minority students into official schools in rural areas while minority groups conquered the "Central