Date of Award
7-29-2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Policy Studies (DPS)
First Advisor
Prof. LAU Ka Wai Maggie
Abstract
China has the largest potential outward international student population of any country in the world. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic impeded the international mobility of Chinese students. In 2023, China’s government lifted the restrictions that had been put in place to control the pandemic. Consequently, it is imperative to understand the aspirations of students regarding studying abroad in the post-pandemic era. This study explored changes in the motivations and intentions of Shenzhen undergraduates regarding studying abroad. A qualitative research methodology was adopted for this study. This research lies in its use of in-depth interviews with Shenzhen undergraduates with different academic backgrounds. Specifically, the push–pull framework was used to conduct an in-depth exploration of the willingness of third-year undergraduates at Shenzhen universities to study abroad at postgraduate level in the post-pandemic period and the push–pull factors influencing their intentions. The universities were categorised into three academic levels: Project 985 institutions, Tier 1 institutions, and other (“ordinary”) institutions. The 52 student participants were recruited from five academic disciplines: chemistry, materials, economics, social science, and clinical medicine. The study revealed that in all disciplines, the willingness of the Project 985 university undergraduates to study abroad exceeded that of those studying at the Tier 1 and ordinary universities. At all three levels of universities, the undergraduates majoring in economics and chemistry had the highest willingness to study abroad and those majoring in materials had the lowest willingness to study abroad. The study found that, the Chinese government’s policies on “anti-corruption in medicine” and “anti-corruption in finance” have increased the willingness of economics, chemistry and clinical medicine students from Project 985 and the Tier 1 university to study abroad. Employment prospects, academic quality of China’s postgraduate schools, and parental support were common factors determining willingness to study abroad for undergraduates across the three levels of universities. It was also revealed that the United States was the country to which the Project 985 and Tier 1 undergraduates were most interested in going abroad to study. Academic quality, employment opportunities, campus environment in the United States were cited as pull factors. The United Kingdom was the study abroad country of choice for the undergraduates at the ordinary university. Academic quality, postgraduate course reputation and recognition, duration of programmes and cultural experiences in the United Kingdom were cited as pull factors. This study suggests that the Chinese government's anti-corruption policies in finance and medicine have fuelled the intentions of China's key universities clinical medicine, chemistry, and finance students to study abroad and work in foreign countries. Therefore, there is a need for the Chinese government to consider the impact on graduate students in this field when implementing policies that have a significant impact on the industry.
Language
English
Copyright
The copyright of this thesis is owned by its author. Any reproduction, adaptation, distribution or dissemination of this thesis without express authorization is strictly prohibited.
Recommended Citation
Xiao, Z. (2024). The post-COVID-19 pandemic study abroad intentions of Chinese undergraduate students: A case study of Shenzhen (doctoral thesis, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from https://commons.ln.edu.hk/otd_tpg/18/
