The Lived Experiences of International Students at a Top-Ranked Chinese University

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: Society, Culture, and Change

Abstract

This paper presents findings of an organizational ethnography that explored the development of English-medium instruction, advanced degree programs at a top-ranked Chinese university. International students from at least thirty countries are registered in these programs, and newly arriving international faculty take responsibility for a growing portion of teaching and supervision. International students and faculty deal with many challenges acclimatizing to this novel academic and social environment. The paper describes these difficulties and how they impact the academic and social lives of international students and faculty. The paper also locates the approach to internationalization in the Chinese university as part of a larger national strategy that is distinct in purpose and implementation to western universities.

Authors

• Lorin Geoffrey Yochim, Beijing Normal University

• Kirk Perris, Beijing Normal University

• Qing Chen