Date of Award
8-1-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Policy Studies (DPS)
First Advisor
Prof.LAU ka Wai Maggie
Second Advisor
Prof. HOU Yung-chi Angela
Abstract
CBHE institutions operate under differing regulatory frameworks between the exporting and importing countries and face distinct contextual differences between parent and branch campuses. How these institutions can be effectively governed and maintain academic standards equivalent to those of their parent universities remains a complex and challenging issue. This comparative study examines the governance of Hong Kong-mainland CFCRS institutions by selecting three case universities, which are BNBU, CUHK-SZ, and HKUSTGZ. A qualitative approach was adopted, involving the analysis of 71 documents (including reports/codes from international organizations, government policies/laws, and university reports/guidelines) and 30 semi-structured interviews (with students, administrators, faculty, and IQA Directors) for data collection. NVivo software was also used for data analysis. The key findings of this study correspond directly to its five research questions, as outlined below.
This study first analyses the policy environments of cross-border education in mainland China and Hong Kong through the regulatory framework of the UNESCO-APQN Toolkit. It is argued that the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong play the roles of ‘gatekeeper’ and ‘gateopener’, respectively, and they jointly embed six dimensions and 31 indicators to ensure the operation of their CFCRS institutions.
Next, the three Hong Kong parent institutions exhibit varying degrees of embeddedness in the IQA governance practices of their mainland campuses, ensuring alignment with their parent institutions. This has resulted in three unique collaborative governance models, namely a Converging Orbit Model, a Decoupling Orbit Model, and a Reciprocal Orbit Model.
The QA impacts on student development revealed that the three case universities share 16 similar positive effects across three dimensions: peer and stakeholder engagement, student support, and the learning environment. Additionally, eight controversial impacts emerged. In contrast, three key differences were noted. Lastly, this study sheds light on the challenges and implications of both EQA and IQA systems.
This study addresses four urgent issues in cross-border higher education. First, it examines how Mainland China and Hong Kong have pursued a high-standard QA framework for CFCRS in the GBA, while revealing regulatory divergences. Second, it analyses three collaborative governance models that rebalance relations between home and branch campuses. Third, it explores how institutions tackle the student–labour market gap through strategies such as “students as co-governors,” “employer-integrated mentorship,” and “project-based entrepreneurship.” Finally, it reflects on the internationalization of higher education in the GBA, highlighting that Hong Kong is no longer merely a “gateway” or “radiator” for the mainland, but an evolving partner that actively shapes and co-constructs regional and global academic exchanges.
Keywords
Cross-border higher education, Chinese-foreign cooperative running schools, Policy regulations, Quality assurance, Student development
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
Tao, H. (2025). A comparative study of Chinese-Foreign cooperation in running schools (CFCRS): Regulation, quality assurance, and impact on student development in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) (doctoral thesis, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from https://commons.ln.edu.hk/otd_tpg/44/