Navigating Education Agents: Chinese Students and the Contractual Dynamics of Education Services

• In Event: Sociology of Education Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 15. International Schooling and Outcomes

Abstract

Amid the growing marketization of international higher education, many higher education institutions (HEIs) increasingly rely on full-tuition-paying international students and partner with education agents for recruitment. While much research has examined HEI-agent collaborations, the student-agent relationship remains underexplored. Drawing on agency theory, this study explores how goal alignments and conflicts shape the dynamic between Chinese students and Chinese education agents (CEAs). This study employs semi-structured interviews with eight students and eight (former) workers in CEAs, along with document analysis of contracts and application materials. Findings reveals both goal alignments, students seeking academic fit and agents offering tailored services, and conflicts rooted in CEAs’ profit-driven motives. Facilitated by information asymmetries, opportunistic practices were taken by CEAs. This study calls for stronger oversight of CEAs and improved protections for students in the global higher education market.

Author

• Xiaohan Gang, Syracuse University