Bridging the Gap between Western and Chinese Evidence in the International Education Market

Abstract

Using a sample of 1674 international students in China, the present study explores sociocultural adaptation and its determinants. The results indicate that sociocultural adaptation among international students in China is largely shaped by the nature of the interaction with host nationals. In particular, among international students, those who experienced higher levels of social interaction with host nationals and received more social support were better poised for sociocultural adaptation. Rather contrary to similar research in the Western context, the study finds that international students from East Asia actually experienced more sociocultural difficulties in China than their counterparts from Western countries. These findings suggest the possibility of China and other oriental countries with sound higher education systems playing more active roles in the global higher education market.

The Emergence of a Regional Education Hub: Rationales of International Students’ Choice of China as the Study Destination

“…Recent years have witnessed the change of patterns and rationales of international student mobility: First, a counter-cyclical creation of opportunities for international students has emerged. Many “traditional suppliers” of international students, from countries/regions like Singapore, Malaysia, mainland China, Turkey, and Mexico, which in the past sent substantial numbers of students abroad to study, have begun to actively compete with their Western counterparts for overseas students (Chan & Ng, 2008; Ng, 2012; Ruby, 2014; Sidhu, 2005; Wen, 2012, 2013, 2014; World Bank, 2007). The second change is that regional mobility occurs at a higher rate than global mobility.…”

When sojourners return: Employment opportunities and challenges facing high-skilled Chinese returnees

“…With both push and pull factors contributing significantly to international students and young professionals’ mobility (Li and Bray, 2007; Tharenou and Caufield, 2010; Welch and Hao, 2015), China has witnessed a rapid increase in the number of student sojourners 1 returning in recent years (Ministry of Education, 2015). These high-skilled returnees are encouraged by the thriving economy, improved employment opportunities, and a more liberalized polity and lifestyle (Tharenou and Seet, 2014; Wen, 2012; Wen et al., 2014; Zweig, 2006). Between 1978 and 2014, a total of 3.5 million Chinese students went overseas for various kinds of education, and a total of 1,809,600 returned to China.…”

China’s Southern Borderlands and ASEAN Higher Education: A Cartography of Connectivity

“…Even within the trade portfolio, the emphasis is conventionally on goods, obscuring swiftly rising service-sector trade across a wide range of areas. This notably includes higher education, which now contributes billions to regional economies, including China's (Wen, 2016;Wen, Luo, & Hu, 2014). This error may well become even more important, as China deliberately moves from an emphasis on production of goods, to a more service-based economy, in which financial services, tourism, and education services assume a larger part.…”

“…18.3). Although China's priorities for transnational education, which is formally controlled by the ministry of education, 9 are more concerned with extending knowledge of Chinese culture and language, as compared with the more entrepreneurial approach of traditional Anglophone providers, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, early estimates that China earned around US$2.3 billion from international students may well be conservative (Wen, 2016;Wen, Luo, & Hu, 2014). China emphasizes partnerships in domestic transnational education initiatives.…”