This study contributes one of the first explorations into how provincial governments shaped the WCU building discourse in tandem with universities. Using a resource dependence approach and insights from institutional isomorphism, it develops a conceptual framework with three perspectives (national government, provincial governments and…

With increased competition for talented students and academic staff, many universities have recognised the importance of brand building to better position in the field. This study selected a recently founded public university in China as the case to explore in what way a young university's brand is constructed and to what extent such a brand is…

In recent years, China has implemented a national language policy promoting the use of Putonghua (Standard Chinese) in ethnic minority schools. This study investigates how mesolevel institutions (i.e., schools) have responded to this macro-level national language policy change, and how the institutional policy changes have affected Korean-Chinese…

This study explores to conceptualize and practicalize three-dimensional interaction model of internationalization from China's higher education perspective. Applying documentary analysis, a qualitative method, and interviews, 15 international administrative staff and directors from eight sampled local universities were interviewed to present…

This study employs Bernstein's concept of "recontextualization" and Rata's theorization of the "Curriculum Design Coherence [CDC] model" as theoretical tools to analyse the "Curriculum Standard for Chinese Language" ["Standard"] (The "Standard," the "Guidance," the "Plan and"…

Digital transformation (DT) is a global trend in higher education. This study set out to examine the way DT is conceptualized in the 14th five-year development plans (2021-2025) of 56 top Chinese universities. Findings from the study show that Chinese universities have embarked on the DT journey with goals mostly similar to those pursued by their…

In the context of the internationalization and marketization of higher education, it has become a trend for a nation to build its higher education brand for global competitiveness. This paper analyses what is seen as the urgent need to enhance China's international education strategy and how branding has assisted in this process. Drawing on…

This study aimed to 1) study the current situation of students' career values in the higher vocational college in Hunan province, 2) study strategies for sustainable development of students' career values in the higher vocational college in Hunan province, and 3) evaluate the feasibility of the strategies for sustainable development students'…

Within high-participation systems of higher education such as China, the value of degrees is divided between credentials offering relatively high positional value and those offering less value. With that, institutional hierarchy plays a significant role in shaping graduate employability. This paper illustrates the contrasting experiences of two…

This study examined how the role of digitalization is framed in the strategic development plans of 75 top universities in China. Findings show that digitalization as perceived by these universities features instrumentality (e-campus construction and application) and modernization (sustaining and efficiency innovations in teaching and learning), a…

Purpose: The study conceptualises universities as "cities of flows" to examine the East-West University Partnership (EWUP) in China, which is a pioneering initiative of cross-regional university collaboration linking over 220 institutions across China since 2001. The study explores the strategic enhancement of connective and…

Purpose: This mixed-methods study examined how differences in parental time, knowledge, and economic constraints, as well as community socioeconomic contexts, may contribute to differences in home language environment and child language ability outcomes between peri-urban and rural households in China. Method: We conducted an explanatory…

This study investigates career trajectory and work locations of doctoral students trained in Macao and analyses how their career paths are shaped by perceived macro-level factors. Respondents from four applied disciplinary areas were selected for semi-structured in-depth interviews. Research results show that doctoral students who graduated from…

Recent linguistic landscape (LL) research has witnessed a change in focus to untypical, peripheral and fluid signs. Compared to typical (or permanent, fixed, etc.) signs which tend to be subject to strong policy intervention, language use on untypical signs is often more autonomous, thus could better reflect the "de facto" language…

This study aims to explore the factors that influence Asian student mobility using a life planning model, which focuses on students' lifelong planning and restricting factors in decision-making. As a result of macro data analysis of student mobility from six Asian source countries to eight major destinations from 1999 to 2017, the income gap…