Student Migration: Evidence from Chinese Students in the US and China

Abstract

This article is based on the analysis of a pair of cross‐national parallel surveys on Chinese students, respectively inside the People's Republic of China and in the US. Specifically, it makes comparisons between two cross‐sectional groups: 1) Chinese students in a PRC university who intend to study abroad (with a subset that stated that the United States is their top destination), versus 2) Chinese students already at a US university. Building on a “motility” concept while using an “Intellectual Migration” conceptual framework and chi‐square and logistic regression analyses, it demonstrates that Chinese students' possibly returning to the PRC are significantly influenced by their gender, college GPA, family finance, assessment of China's current and future development. The results on outmigration or return migration intentions are presented, and it concludes with some policy implications and future research directions.

Global Korea Scholarship students: Intention to stay in the host country to work or study after graduation

“…Alternatively, studies have focused on the motivations and outcomes of returning students from higher education in the West to home countries in the East (Hao et al, 2016;Hao et al, 2017;Lee & Kim, 2010). Similarly, research on poststudy plans among international students has largely focused on subgroups of the international student body, limiting survey sampling by country of birth, level of degree, and area of study (Li et al, 2018;Lu et al, 2009;Nghia, 2019;Ugwu & Adamuti-Trache, 2017). The literature on postgraduation plans is arguably lacking in studies that examine international students in a non-Western country and draw upon a diverse sample of demographics and academic status.…”

“…The study further extends the literature on student migration by also considering the role of student scholarship and experiences with life in the host country. The analysis employs composite variables to capture student experiences, while controlling for gender (Li et al, 2018;Nghia, 2019), field of study and level of degree (Bryla, 2019;Kim & Oh, 2014;Soon, 2012), language proficiency (Arthur & Flynn, 2011;Ugwu & Adamuti-Trache, 2017), previous experience of living abroad (Carlson, 2013;King & Ruiz-Gelices, 2003), and level of development in the home country (Gesing & Glass, 2019;Weisser, 2016).…”

Remain, Return, or Re‐migrate? The (Im)mobility Trajectory of Mainland Chinese Students after Completing Their Education in the UK

“…The growing international economic and political influence of China brings a new dynamic to the mobility of Western‐educated Chinese students. It is the first time in recent Chinese migration history that “home” is no longer a significantly less developed place with fewer career promises (Li et al., ). Therefore, the post‐2008 wave of international students from China face a different local and transnational context to carry out their mobility strategy after leaving higher education (Fong, ; Li et al., ).…”

The impact of political factors on international student mobility

“…In addition, studies highlight how unsatisfactory social norms can underly the wish to escape from home‐country pressure to obtain freedom of lifestyle (Hazen & Alberts, 2006). From a host‐country perspective, migration policies play a significant role in ISM (Brooks & Waters, 2011; Li et al, 2019; UUK, 2014; Yin & Yeakey, 2019). In addition, attitudes towards foreigners can be important factors in attracting and retaining international students (Choudaha, 2017; Lomer, 2018).…”