Internationalization of public administration education in China: International students’ perspective

ABSTRACT

The article assesses internationalization of Public Administration education in China based on international students’ perceptions toward forms of the educational institution’s internationalization. Research for the article was quantitatively based on a case study of one of the Chinese institutions of higher learning offering Public Administration education to international students. Data were collected through a survey, based on which statistical analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses. Results suggest a positive and statistically significant correlation between all forms of the educational institution’s internationalization and international students’ approval of international education. A two-step hierarchical multiple regression indicates that global exposure, curriculum design, language of instruction and faculty significantly predict students’ approval of international education, while student support services and research activities do not. The article concludes that China’s Public Administration education is perceived to be international and relevant to the international community despite being rooted in the local context of public administration practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Internationalization
• international higher education
• public administration education
• international students

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Hubei Provincial Department of Education [5000] and Hubei Province Teaching Reform Fund “A Research on theTraining Model of Undergraduate Student’s International Consciousness and InterculturalCommunication Ability in Public Administration Subject” (Project No. 2014061).

Notes on contributors

Chunxia Sun

Chunxia Sun is an associate professor of Urban Management in the College of Public Administration at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Her research expertise is in Public Service and Emergency Management.

Thomson Raphael Bwanali

Thomson Raphael Bwanali received his PhD in Administrative Management from Huazhong University of Science and Technology’s College of Public Administration. His research interests are Public Management Reform, Public Budgeting and Finance, and Public Value Governance.

Frances Berry

Frances Berry is Frank Sherwood Professor of Public Administration and Askew Eminent Scholar Chair at Florida State University. Her research interests are Public and Strategic Management, Public Policy, Policy Innovation and Diffusion, State and Local Politics Intergovernmental Relations, and Program Evaluation.

Hongtao Yi

Hongtao Yi is an associate professor in John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on network governance, policy process, and energy and environment.