What are the institutional drivers of international higher education partnerships? An analysis of Canadian-Chinese joint degree programs

• In Event: Reevaluating higher education in the context of curriculum, activism, help-seeking, and partnerships

Proposal

Purposes: This research explores the strategic motivations and organizational enablers that facilitate academic partnerships between Canadian and Chinese universities. The study identified Canadian-Chinese joint degree programs in higher education, with a focus on the top 15 Canadian research-intensive universities (also known as the U15 group). The purposes of this study were:
1. To characterize the status of joint degree programs between Canadian and Chinese research universities;
2. To analyze the organizational challenges and best practices in developing and sustaining joint degree programs; and
3. To develop recommendations for future policies and practices in developing international higher education partnerships.

Context and Theoretical Framework: The internationalization is a key focus for Canadian universities in their efforts to participate in global knowledge exchange and production. Although there are different forms of activities and initiatives, de Wit (2011) identifies cross-border partnerships as a predominant approach to internationalization. One type of partnership that may require significant organizational investment from collaborating institutions is the joint degree program (Sakamoto & Chapman, 2011). In a joint program, a student simultaneously receives two degrees from two different programs in the same or different universities. A scan of joint degree programs between Canadian and Chinese higher education institutions revealed 74 joint degree initiatives; 25 of these programs are hosted in the top 15 research universities in Canada. Despite the large number of programs, there is a dearth of research on the nature and operation of these programs, how they have been developed, and what factors contribute to their challenges and successes. This study addresses this gap by creating an up-to-date typology of these joint programs, analysing their challenges and best practices, as well as making recommendations for developing future partnerships.

We conceptualized this study through neo-institutionalism (Powell & DiMaggio, 2012) and the functional model for the analysis of cross-border partnerships (Sakamoto & Chapman, 2011). A neo-institutionalist perspective revealed the institutional rationales and priorities related to the external social, political, economic, and cultural demands for internationalization. The functional model for the analysis of cross-border partnerships provided a concrete framework to connect these rationales to the analysis of policies and practices in developing sustainable international partnerships.

Research Methods: This study adopted a document analysis approach. We reviewed and analyzed key policy documents that facilitate the development of joint degree programs. First, we collected statistics and information about the most updated status of all the Canadian-Chinese higher education jointed degree programs. Then, we gathered detailed program description of all the joint degree programs hosted in the U-15 Canadian universities. We collected the federal and provincial level internationalization strategies and policy frameworks concerning the development of international higher education programs. Then we analyzed institutional documents from the U-15 universities including internationalization plans, strategic policies, and organizational documents with a focus on governance structures supporting the development of international partnerships. These document sources were examined aiming to identify the organizational frameworks and policy messages embedded in the texts. To conduct a thorough review of the policy texts, we first organized the data into general categories based on the review of literature and the initial reading of the data. Once the initial themes were identified, a comparison matrix was created to discuss and elaborate on the findings. We plan to use these findings from the document analysis to develop an interview protocol for a subsequent study that investigates the perceptions and experiences of university administrators involved in these programs.

Findings: Developing international higher education partnerships including joint degree programs has been prioritized by most Canadian universities in their internationalization initiatives (ACDE, 2013). 88% of Canadian universities have identified China as the top target country to seek international partnerships (AUCC, 2014). The analysis of the documents revealed that Canadian universities are often expected to develop strategic partnerships with external organizations to enhance their governance structures and legitimize knowledge reproduction that satisfies emerging political and societal demands. Many Canadian universities have been developing international initiatives as a response to federal and provincial pressure and demands for preparing a knowledge-ready workforce. Also, we noted that expanding partnerships with non-Canadian universities has become one of the key strategies for Canadian universities to respond to political and societal challenges such as decreasing public funding.

Following the functional model for the analysis of cross-border partnerships, we identified four key factors leading to the creation of joint degree programs partnerships between universities. First, the organizational factors that pertain to the alignment of the programs with the missions of each partner institutions, for example, existing institutional relationships, anticipated prestige, and the extent of organizational interest in the initiative. Second, the need for continuous financial sustainability, which guarantees the program’s viability. Third, the interest at the individual level, for example, maintaining faculty interest and experience to participate in the teaching and research in joint degree programs. Lastly, the contextual factors that include the legal, regulatory, and political environments, which may shape the long-term sustainability of the partnerships.

Furthermore, while the issue of student and faculty mobility has received significant attention in the literature (Ziguras & McBurnie, 2015), the topic of “program mobility” has been less prominent. Programs become mobile when their goals, contents, and milestones can be implemented regardless of a specific geographical location. Our analysis suggests that local certification and accreditation policies are crucial mechanisms that contribute or hinder program mobility between China and Canada.

Conclusion: The analysis suggests that the development of partnerships for joint degree programs between Chinese and Canadian universities entails: 1) Epistemic communities that legitimize knowledge production, 2) Policy networks that influence program governance at multiple levels, and 3) Isomorphic organizational structures that facilitate program mobility. Isomorphism requires an alignment of goals, strategy, and policies. Further, these drivers are framed by changing global and local social, political, and economic forces. The lack of research on the nature, development, and challenges of joint degree programs between Canadian and Chinese universities weakens the institutional capacity to create effective and sustainable international partnerships.

Authors

• Jing Xiao, University of Saskatchewan

• Gus Riveros, University of Western Ontario