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…

So-called 'world-class universities' emerged on the global higher education scene following the Second World War. Their development in countries around the world, particularly since the early 2000s, has evolved into an international norm, although not without debate and contestation. This paper applies Constructivist theory to reflect on how local…

It is critical to investigate the major factors that influence the perceived value and satisfaction of international students in Malaysia, as the country has seen a decrease in international students since 2017 and strives to become an international education hub. This research aims to: (1) ascertain the level of satisfaction experienced by…

Global competition results in an overall demand for higher skills. In the competitive world, China has no choice but to adjust themselves to become more efficient, productive, and flexible. Higher education in China has played a key role in achieving socialist economy and modernization. Since the open-door policy in the 1980s, there has been a…

UNESCO's relatively high prestige across East Asia has spurred intensifying efforts by governments to use its imprimatur to legitimate official narratives of the past and visions of the future. This article focuses on China's use of UNESCO as an arena for competitive national 'branding' in the education field, especially relating to STEM and AI.…

Internationalisation has become a worldwide trend in Higher Education in the rapidly changing globalised competitive market. Universities are pressurised to develop internationalised strategy to build legitimacy and reputation within the knowledge-based economy. An isomorphic tendency has been identified of universities mimicking successful…

Why have regimes and societies that would otherwise argue for their distinctiveness and sovereign decision-making caught 'ranking fever' in HE? Why are they willing to give up their sovereignty in the field of HE, and why do they accept the requirement of homogeneity to succeed in global university rankings? This paradox is explored in the case of…

Purpose: The current article aims to answer the following research questions--(1) What types of business schools should pursue the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)? and (2) What types of strategic leadership would be necessary for that? Design/methodology/approach: A case study approach with archival research and…

This study empirically examines different factors that influence students to select universities in the UAE. The primary data were collected based on a survey of students at two public universities -- United Arab Emirates University and Zayed University, as well as three private universities -- New York University, Abu Dhabi University, and Alain…

The concept of the world-class university has proliferated throughout the world, yet there is no universal consensus on how to define these elite institutions. Without a unified definition, rankings have become a direct proxy for sense-making in the sector and a commensurate indicator that decision-makers have used to understand the world-class…

Methodological nationalism (MN) pervades higher education scholarship and practice, particularly in the arena of globalisation of higher education (HE) (Shahjahan and Kezar 2013). MN refers to the assumption that national boundaries define the natural category or unit of analysis for society. Drawing on affect theories, this conceptual article…

This article examines national branding of UK higher education, a strategic intent and action to collectively brand UK higher education with the aim to attract prospective international students, using a Bourdieusian approach to understanding promises of capitals. We trace its development between 1999 and 2014 through a sociological study, one of…

Internationalization in higher education has become increasingly relevant over the past two decades, not only in traditional areas like North America and Europe, but also in emerging regions such as Asia and the rest of the world. The expansion of the global higher education mobility is obvious, with over 4.6 million students seeking education…

We apply the gravity model of international trade to country-level panel data on branch campus establishments and closures from 2007-2016. Accordingly, we arrive at the first elasticity estimates of the determinants of international trade in branch campuses, contributing to research in higher education and international trade in services. Our…

With the internationalization of education, studying at international branch campuses (IBCs) is becoming a popular choice in China. Taking Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE)--Surrey International Institute as an example, this article explores the choice criteria used by Chinese students enrolled at an IBC. Based on auto-ethnography…