Mismatched expectations of internationalisation: Lived experiences of Chinese returnee academics in an international joint university

Abstract

This study examines the lived experiences of Chinese academic returnee staff working in a joint venture university in China. Through in-depth interviews with 11 Chinese returnees, we explore their expectations and experiences working in an internationalised university environment following an international degree overseas. Using Bourdieu’s concepts of field and habitus as an analytic lens, the findings identify the ways that returnees imagine or expect internationalised habitus and field in the unique design of joint venture universities. Yet, through participant reflection on policies towards 100% English Medium Instruction (EMI) and internationalised curricula, we identified experienced tensions between the institution’s aim to internationalise the campus and its perceived effectiveness in implementation. Many returnees spoke of Sino-foreign institutions as a substitute for the field of Western academia, and reported challenges with implementing EMI policies that caused them to rely more on their Chinese than their international experiences which ran counter to their expectations. This analysis adds nuances to the inter-relationship between field and habitus by analysing the reasons for mismatched expectations and the way individuals engage with their own habitus in response. This article concludes by outlining implications for transnational higher education in China and other host countries.

Engagement With China From Inside and Out: Kindness and Academic Dialogue

“…Chen, J. and Zhu, J. (2022), Zhang et al (2022) and Mouritzen (2022) show that scholars often encounter cross-cultural difficulties but that acculturation strategies and empathy can be powerful tools to overcome these difficulties. Mouritzen's (2022) reflection on liminality is a challenge to policy makers to bridge this liminal gap that foreigners experience.…”

WITHDRAWN—Administrative Duplicate Publication: Engagement with China from inside and out: Kindness and academic dialogue

“…What the papers in this special issue do is to show the connections between 'foreign' scholars in China and highlight a range of ways in which kindness could potentially reshape their experiences and engagement with their Chinese employers and colleagues. Chen and Zhu (2022), Zhang et al (2022) and Mouritzen (2022) show that scholars often encounter cross-cultural difficulties but that acculturation strategies and empathy can be powerful tools to overcome these difficulties. Mouritzen's (2022) reflection on liminality is a challenge to policy makers to bridge this liminal gap that foreigners experience.…”