Locked out of China – a narrative analysis of international students unable to return to China during the pandemic and the impacts it has on the future of international education in a contemporary leading international education destination
Dr Stephanie Hollings1
1Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
International education and international student mobility have for most of its history connotated the movement of students around the world, hence the mobility aspect. However, during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, this mobility aspect has often been put on hold for both those students who would be starting international programs and for those students who should be returning to their international programs. Thus, for many of these students, they have essentially been locked out of their chosen countries in which they are pursuing their higher education. The implications for such policies have a wide range of political, social, educational and individual ramifications that mark a turning point for international education. This study focuses on China, a country that for the past few decades has tried rather successfully to go from an exporter of international students to an importer of international students through internationalization efforts often affiliated with their much-touted Belt and Road Initiative. This study employs data from 50-60 informal responses from international students studying in China who have essentially been locked out of China since the pandemic started in Spring 2020 and also autoethnographic responses of ten international PhD students who had since started their PhDs in China during the pandemic. Through narrative analysis and individual autoethnographies these lived experiences of these students locked out of China, illustrate the direct impact of pandemic policies on students and how unprecedented challenges and changes can change the evolving landscape of international education and international student mobility.
Biography:
Stephanie has recently completed her PhD in Comparative Education/Educational Leadership and Policy from Beijing Normal University in China with a thesis focused on international schools and global competence. Her research interests include international student mobility, international education and global citizenship, two of which are key aspects of her presentation at this conference.