Policy-driven Identity Dilemma: The Impact of Sino-foreign Co-operative University Modes on Students' Academic Experiences and Post-graduation Destinations

This study figures out how institutional ambiguities within Sino-Foreign Cooperative Universities (SFCUs) shape students’ identity dilemmas and how it subsequently affect their learning experiences and post-graduation destinations. Through a purposive sampling method, 30 students from different SFCUs studying at different levels and disciplines were selected to participate in the semi-structured interviews. The study indicated that different Sino-foreign cooperative universities have given rise to contradictory identity construction. Some students develop a strong sense of belonging to their overseas home university, considering their university to be an international branch of the foreign institution. However, some students are trapped in a state of “independent university”. Due to the fragmented alumni network, limited mutual recognition, and ambiguous global rankings, etc, they believe that they perceive their alma mater as lacking a certain degree of connection to either foreign or Chinese home universities. Interestingly, none of the participants claimed that their universities had constructed strong ties with the Chinese home institutions, thus making them isolated from the Chinese home institutions.

This blurring of identities directly affects the multidimensional experience of students. At the academic level, the pursuit of internationalization is somewhat limited by the model of Sino-foreign cooperation, which leaves some of the expectations of students unfulfilled. From the perspective of future studies, the recognition of the degrees awarded by the SFCUs is extremely high, which has enabled most students, especially those undergraduates, to achieve their desired objectives. As for employment prospects, the recognition of SFCUs’ degrees remains doubtful due to the lack of a corresponding academic reputation evaluation and ranking system. Under such scenarios, the unique advantages of Sino-foreign integration, instead of being brought into play, will become a hindrance, making employment a difficult task.