Understanding and Acquiring Career and Civic Global Competence in Graduate Schools: A Critical Analysis of the Cross-Cultural Learning of Chinese Students at an American University

• In Event: Division D Graduate Student in Progress Research Gala

Abstract

Educational policymakers have promoted “global competence” (GC)-- the combination of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable individuals to “live harmoniously in multicultural communities and thrive in a changing labor market”-- as key to cultivating professionally and civically successful graduates (Asia Society, 2011 & 2018; U.S. Department of Education, 2012 & 2018; OECD, 2018). However, existing understandings of GC are based on westernized cultural norms that remain de-contextualized for specific educational institutions and undertheorized for students’ diverse experiences. This study contextualizes the understanding and acquisition of GC in the cross-cultural learning experiences of Chinese International Graduate Students at an internationalized American university.

Author

• Linli Zhou, University of California - Los Angeles