Does International Student Mobility matter for Elite Academic Positions? ——An analysis of Chinese Ph.D. graduates

• In Event: Examining dynamics, pathways, and students' experiences: Chinese higher education in comparison

Proposal

Relevance to CIES 2024:
This research investigates the impact of International Student Mobility (ISM) on the employment outcomes of doctoral students from China. Doctoral students’ ISM can be viewed as an engagement with the wider academic world, challenging and changing the status quo. These actions align with the spirit of protest and hope encapsulated in the conference's theme. Moreover, this research unravels the differential benefits of ISM for diverse demographic groups. The study found that the positive effects of overseas study were more pronounced for female doctoral students and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, which is particularly significant as these groups typically face more significant obstacles to mobility. This discovery aligns with the CIES 2024 theme's emphasis on marginalized communities and the use of education as a tool for challenging and changing entrenched inequalities. Additionally, this research also addresses the pedagogical, social, and cultural implications of ISM, contributing to a richer understanding of the dynamics of global academic collaboration and inclusivity. Therefore, this research provides valuable perspectives to contribute to the conference, highlighting the necessity of nurturing an inclusive, diverse, and globally engaged academic community, thereby reflecting the core aspirations of the CIES 2024.

Purpose of this study:
In China, an increasing number of doctoral students are choosing to conduct research at overseas academic institutions in study period. International Student Mobility (ISM) has had a significant positive impact on the formation of international academic networks and academic publications of doctoral students (Shen, 2018), and has thus made a profound and continuous contribution to the academic career of doctoral students (Hugo Horta, 2020). However, the role of ISM in the future employment of doctoral students, specifically the relationship between ISM and the quality of employment, is still unclear. A few papers focusing on mobility and employment have mainly analyzed the impact of mobility on post-graduation income (Kratz & Netz, 2018) and whether ISM will benefit the acquisition of tenure (Campbell et al., 2015) and future career promotion (Jonkers & Cruz-Castro, 2013). However, current research has rarely involved the analysis of ISM on the acquisition of academic positions, especially elite universities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the international flow of doctoral students and the acquisition of academic positions, particularly whether there is an advantage in the acquisition of teaching positions in elite universities, and whether this advantage is heterogeneous among different doctoral students.

Design/methodology:
Using data from the 2021 China National Doctoral Survey, this study analyzes the employment market benefits of ISM for doctoral students through propensity score matching and heterogeneous treatment effect analysis. In this study, the primary focus is on the relationship between ISM during the doctoral study period and the acquisition of teaching positions in elite universities. The main variable under investigation is the presence or absence of ISM, while the dependent variable is whether the faculty member has secured a teaching position in an elite university. Furthermore, this study also examines the potential heterogeneity of employment income, taking into account factors such as gender, family background, and the type of mobile country. The analysis of these variables helps to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of ISM on doctoral students' career outcomes, and can also shed light on the fairness and equity of ISM policies. To analyze these variables, this study employs a propensity matching model to assess the net effect of ISM on employment outcomes and a heterogeneity processing effect model to examine the varying effects of ISM on different groups.

Findings:
The results demonstrate that doctoral students with ISM are more likely to obtain academic positions, particularly elite academic positions, compared to non-mobile doctoral students. Furthermore, the benefits of going to English-speaking countries are greater than non-English-speaking countries, according to heterogeneity analysis. The heterogeneous treatment effect analysis indicates that ISM has more significant importance in the academic labor market for female doctoral students and those with lower family socio-economic status, despite having relatively fewer opportunities for ISM.

Originality/value of paper:
Previous studies have mainly analyzed the likelihood of going to tenure track, but have not considered the reputation of the employing institutions. This research expands our understanding of the relationship between ISM and elite teaching positions, providing a more comprehensive evaluation of the importance of ISM in the employment process. Moreover, while previous research has mainly focused on the flow of overseas students studying for graduate degrees after graduation, this study examines the international flow of doctoral students during their studies. This approach helps to understand the professional benefits of academic mobility of doctoral students, and provides a more comprehensive understanding of doctoral education and talent cultivation. In terms of methodology, this study not only employs the propensity score matching model to explore the net effect of ISM on employment outcomes, but also uses the heterogeneous treatment effect model to analyze the differential effects of ISM on different groups, such as men and women and individuals from different family socio-economic backgrounds. This approach is beneficial in comprehensively evaluating the rationality and fairness of ISM policies.

Main References:
Horta, H., Birolini, S., Cattaneo, M., Shen, W., & Paleari, S. (2021). Research network propagation: The impact of PhD students’ temporary international mobility. Quantitative Science Studies, 2(1), 129-154.
Jiang, J., Mok, K. H., & Shen, W. (2020). Riding over the national and global disequilibria: international learning and academic career development of Chinese Ph. D. returnees. Higher education policy, 33, 531-554.
Jonkers, K., & Cruz-Castro, L. (2013). Research upon return: The effect of international mobility on scientific ties, production and impact. Research Policy, 42(8), 1366-1377.
Kratz, F., & Netz, N. (2018). Which mechanisms explain monetary returns to international student mobility?. Studies in Higher Education, 43(2), 375-400.
Shen, W., Wang, C., & Jin, W. (2016). International mobility of PhD students since the 1990s and its effect on China: A cross-national analysis. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 38(3), 333-353.
Shen, W. (2018). Transnational research training: Chinese visiting doctoral students overseas and their host supervisors. Higher Education Quarterly, 72(3), 224-236.

Authors

• Haotian Xu, Peking University

• wenqin shen, Graduate School of Education, Peking University