International education and graduate employability: Australian Chinese graduates’ experiences

ABSTRACT

This article investigates how international educational experiences affect the employment opportunities of Chinese who graduated from an Australian university. Findings based on 26 semi-structured interviews highlight that Chinese students who graduated from Australia gained a web of capital (i.e., human, cultural, psychological and identity), which facilitated their employment upon return home. However, social capital, which is critical in China, was a weakness for Chinese students who graduated from overseas institutions. The findings have provided strong evidence that Chinese students’ employability benefited from studying overseas. This research utilised the Tomlinson’s Graduate Capital Model to an international education context. It has implications for Chinese students on how they could benefit from studying overseas and for universities that recruit Chinese international students.

KEYWORDS:

• Graduate employability
• graduate capital
• Chinese graduates
• Australia

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the La Trobe China Studies Research Centre [No grant number].

Notes on contributors

Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh

Dr Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh’s research expertise is in higher education with a particular interest in exploring international students’ lived experiences of academic success, employability, career aspirations and learning experiences in a blended learning environment. Dr Singh also explores lived experiences of international academics with leadership positions.

Shea X. Fan

Dr Shea Fan’s research expertise lies in people management in a culturally, racially and ethnically diverse work environment. Her research topics include identity, managing language in multinational organizations, local government international collaboration and transnational education. She conducts research among multinational corporation employees, expatriates, immigrants, bicultural individuals, international students and local government organizations.