Institutional Conformity and Divergence: Investigating Strategic, Financial and Student Diversity in China’s Joint Venture Universities

• In Event: Comparative Perspectives on Access, Diversity, and Employment Outcomes in Higher Education: Insights from China, the U.S., and Japan

Proposal

Introduction

Encouraged by policies promoting internationalization and enhancing institutional competitiveness, universities around the world have established transnational collaborations to align with global standards and attract human and financial resources. In China, joint venture universities (JVUs) represent a significant innovation, not only bringing international academic models and practices into China's higher education landscape, but also serve as experimental sites for new approaches to governance, curriculum financing, and student diversity. As China positions itself as a key player in global higher education, JVUs offer a unique model for blending local educational priorities, financial innovation, and global legitimacy, while simultaneously navigating challenges related to cultural integration, financial sustainability, and inequality in access. In this paper, we use the comparative case method to address three questions: 1) How do differing revenue streams influence the missions of joint venture universities in China? 2) How do joint venture universities in China use diverse revenue streams to shape the distribution of financial aid? 3) What impact do mission and financial models have on student population diversity and educational inequality?

Theoretical Framing

Using a neo-institutional framework (Dimaggio & Powell, 1983), we explore the ways in which JVUs in China adapt to and are shaped by both local regulatory pressures and economic demands, global academic norms, and contextual opportunities. In doing so, we highlight the ways in which JVUs operate within complex institutional local, national, and transnational environments, where they must navigate the sometimes coercive pressure of governmental policies, reflect the normative expectations of their international partners, and satisfy the expectations of local economic and social forces. Using this framework, we investigate how JVUs balance competing demands and approach diversity, student recruitment, financial sustainability, and internationalization.

Method of Inquiry

This study uses the comparative case method approach (Bartlett & Vavrus, 2017; Bray et al, 2014) to investigate the way in which global, national, and local expectations, perceptions of legitimacy, and revenue streams influence the strategic mission and student populations at three JVUs in China. We engage a process of comparison and contrast of JVUs across place and purpose. First, we selected three Sino-U.S. JVUS in China that reflect differing financial models consisting of varying degrees of government, private sector, and tuition reliance. Next, we use techniques from document and content analysis to explore the JVUs’ initial plans and mission statements, and revenue streams. Next, we utilize a subsample of data (n=600) from an annual, representative survey of Chinese university students to investigate the demographic characteristics and financing strategies employed by the students at the three study sites. We identify unique themes, practices, and pressures in each institutional site, but in additional to comparing case, but highlight linkages across the cases associated with internationalization, local economies, and modern Chinese

Research Findings and Significance

Our preliminary findings suggest that each of the JVUs in our study have a different relations with local government which shapes their revenue stream, the composition of their student body and their main pressure and obstacles. For instance, one of the institutions primarily relies on tuition fees, and in turn, the students come from upper middle-class families. Most students selected the university with the intention of studying abroad for graduate study. However, the current international political climate has created barriers to study abroad, and consequently the institution is under increased pressure to recruit students to satisfy revenue needs. In contract, another institution’s mission is internationalization. While students are also upper middle class at this institution, they are also higher performing. High quality faculty and non-tuition dependent revenue streams contribute to ease in recruitment. The final case illustrates the pressure to keep graduates in the local area to develop new technology companies. Each of the institutions student populations fund their education in diverse ways reflecting their long-term expectations.

Understanding diversity and inequality in joint venture universities (JVUs) in China is crucial for both global higher education and the field of comparative and international education because these institutions serve as key examples of how cross-border partnerships shape access, equity, and inclusivity. As China continues to rise as a global education hub, JVUs play a pivotal role in blending international academic standards with local policies, which impacts student diversity and perpetuates or challenges inequality. Analyzing how these universities address issues such as socioeconomic disparities, gender, and nationality within their student populations provides valuable insights into broader global trends of higher education reform and internationalization.

Authors

• Jennifer H Adams, Johns Hopkins University, School of Education

• Sen Zhou, Peking University, Beijing, China

• Bingyao Hu, Johns Hopkins University, School of Education