Transnational Mobile Academics in Internationally Co-Founded Universities: Motivations and Professional Development

• In Event: Dialogue and Cooperation in Educational Transformation for a Sustainable Future

Proposal

The development of globalization and the increasing inter-connectedness of knowledge production have pushed nation-states and universities across the globe to pursue a range of internationalization policies and strategies, and academics' transnational mobility has become a frequent topic of discussion. Scholars' transnational activities are often positioned in such a context to promote internationalization and academic productivity at individual, institutional and national levels. Compare to the traditional mobility from developing countries to Western countries, the ‘South to North’ mobility has become a noticeable trend in recent years. However, few studies have examined their motivations and the associated benefits and losses in the contextualized setting of internationally co-founded higher education establishments. How does the hybrid institutional arrangement influence international faculty's motivations? To what extent does transnational mobility fulfil their aspirations?
The study explores these questions through an in-depth case study featuring a joint international institution in China. Through 12 semi-structured interviews, the study highlights how academic mobility is affected by the interplay across individual, institutional and national contexts, and reveals the complexities of operating international universities and developing higher education internationalization in China. The study identifies three major sets of motivations that we named “Tripod Theory” of international academics to what extent has transnational mobility fulfilled their aspirations for professional development. Especially, the allure of enough funding offered by the Chinese government and institutions, coupled with the shrinking global funding scheme is an explicit drawing for academics, especially those at the early-career stage. Moreover, the international collaborative institution offers a unique institutional advantage to attract foreign academics to enjoy the perceived benefits while maintaining a close distance to the international research environment and community. Additionally, the multicultural environment of the international institution and the broader social context play a key role in attracting academics. The finding indicates that academic's motivations are indeed affected by the interplay of individual, institutional and national forces. It enriches the scholarly discussion on international academic mobility and provides policy implications to countries keen on recruiting international academics.
The study enriches the scholarly discussion on academic mobility and provides policy implications for higher education internationalization to countries at the periphery of the higher education landscape.

Authors

• Shuangmiao Han, Zhejiang University

• Xingjiang Shao, Zhejiang University