Benefits of studying in China: International students from top-tier Chinese universities ‘spill the beans’

ABSTRACT

Given the exponential growth of international students in China, understanding the advantages of studying there is under-researched. This paper investigates benefits of such study, using 30 semi-structured qualitative interviews with international students from Asia, Africa and Western countries enrolled at two prestigious universities in Beijing and Hubei Province. The analysis identified three sets of mutually inclusive economic-, social-, cultural- and educational-related benefits: employment prospects, learning Mandarin, and building knowledge, skills and experiences. The analysis illustrates the interplay of individual and external benefits, especially the contribution to the home country, through the employability lens. The paper contributes to new insights into important nuances of the key benefits of international education relating to career and employment opportunities in home and host countries, learning Mandarin for future trade dealings and acquiring business knowledge, investment skills and management experience to benefit countries of origin.

KEYWORDS:

• International education
• benefits
• international students
• China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the La Trobe Social Research Platform and La Trobe China Studies Research Centre.

Notes on contributors

Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh

Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh is an award-winning Lecturer at the Department of Management, Sport and Tourism, La Trobe Business School, La Trobe University, Australia. In 2018, Dr Singh received La Trobe University Teaching Awards and Best Presenter Award at the Global Higher Education Forum, Malaysia. Dr Singh’s expertise is in higher education with a particular interest in exploring international students’ current issues such as their academic success lived experiences, employability and career aspirations as well as learning experiences in a blended learning environment. In addition, Dr Singh is also exploring international academics experiences such as their challenges and opportunities in Australian higher education. Dr Singh has published articles in high impact journals such as Higher Education, Higher Education Research & Development and Journal of Studies in International Education. Dr Singh has received several top-level grants from La Trobe University to conduct international research as well as workshops for international students and international academics. Dr Singh is a member of ACEN and IEAA and a Fellow Researcher at the Malaysian National Higher Education Research Institute.