From Struggling to Balancing: Tracing the Self-Formation of Mainland Chinese Doctoral Student in a Supercomplex Academic Space

• In Event: Thoughts on international education

Abstract

Pursuing doctoral studies is a critical step toward becoming an independent scholar, often marked by both challenges and opportunities. While existing research predominantly focuses on Mainland Chinese doctoral students (MCDS) in Western-Anglophone contexts, limited attention has been given to MCDS in Hong Kong—a contested space shaped by intersecting Eastern and Western influences. Drawing on Barnett’s concept of supercomplexity and Marginson’s self-formation theory, this study explores how MCDS navigate stressors and challenges in relation to their academic identity development. Using a qualitative narrative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 MCDS across six Hong Kong universities. Four key phases—struggling, surviving, empowering, and balancing—emerged, revealing how academic identities are shaped by structural conditions, individual agency, and Hong Kong’s unique higher education context.

Authors

• Yabing Liu, Education University of Hong Kong

• Anatoly Oleksiyenko, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Weiyan Xiong, Education University of Hong Kong