Borrowed Prestige, Forged Identities: Student Experience in the Sino-U.S. Cooperative University

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Abstract

This study examines student identity construction at a Sino-Foreign Cooperative University, where dual institutional affiliations create ongoing identity ambiguity. While prior research focuses on macro-level organizational identity, this study foregrounds students’ micro-level perceptions using a postmodernist lens. Based on qualitative data, it identifies three modes of identity perception: Symbolic Alignment, Negotiated Independence, and Strategic Dis-identification. These reveal how students navigate institutional tensions by aligning with the foreign parent brand, constructing hybrid identities, or distancing themselves from institutional labels. The findings demonstrate that student identity in transnational education is not fixed but fluid, fragmented, and contextually negotiated, offering nuanced insights into how individuals respond to broader organizational contradictions.

Author

• Liyan ZHU, Lingnan University