A Case Study of Internationalization in Chinese Non-government Institutions

Abstract

China’s non-government Higher Education sector has experienced 40 years of growth but has faced a range of problems in recent years. There is an urgent need to think carefully about future directions and approaches that non-government universities might take. Internationalization is changing the world of education and has become important strategically for Higher Education institutions across the world. This research explores what internationalization might mean and provides an understanding of internationalization in the context of Chinese non-government universities. Under the internationalization framework in Western academic literature, this study investigates the practice from a case study university in China. Data were collected through semistructured interviews along with document analysis. Participants indicated that internationalization is learning, integrating initiatives for mutual benefit and can be an accelerator for overall development of universities. Furthermore, the government and society need to work together to create a more equitable government policy that positively encourages China’s non-government Higher Education institutions to bolster internationalization.Keywords: China, non-government institutions, internationalization