Abstract
This chapter gives an introduction to the research on the transnational experiences of Chinese academic returnees, including background, research objectives, methods, and significance of the study.
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Notes
- 1.
Hukou is a household registration system in China that identifies a person as a resident of an area. A hukou document is required for education, marriage, employment, and so on. It serves as an important basis of assigning jobs, benefits, resources, and other life changes including children’s educational opportunities.
- 2.
Project 985, named after the date it was launched (May 5, 1998), aims to contribute a significant amount of funding to up to 39 top universities in order to build world-class universities. It marks an important step in stimulating the excellence of universities in order to compete effectively in global standing.
- 3.
The C9 League is an alliance of nine top universities on the Chinese Mainland that includes Tsinghua University, Peking University, Harbin Institute of Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Xi’an Jiao Tong University.
- 4.
“PhD supervisor” is a special term among the academic ranks in China. It is the highest ranking that a university teacher can obtain. PhD supervisors are promoted from full professors, and only those with the title of PhD supervisor can supervise PhD students.
- 5.
Here, “academic returnee” is a broad term that refers to both diploma students who received their undergraduate or graduate degrees abroad and visiting scholars who spent at least 1 year abroad doing research-related work.
- 6.
- 7.
For details of related news, see http://sh.sina.com.cn/citylink/jk/t_xa/2012-03-22/112259269.html.
- 8.
Guanxi is a Chinese term that literally means interpersonal connections, relationships, or networks. However, guanxi is more than the sum of interpersonal ties. It also refers to the benefits and powers gained from social connections and the moral obligations to maintain such connections. Guanxi performs a critical “lubricating” function in Chinese society as well as among the Chinese diaspora. For details, see Gold et al. (2002).
- 9.
The United States is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese students to study abroad. During the academic year 2012/2013, 235,596 Chinese students were studying in the US, accounting for 28.7 % of all international students, thus making China the largest sending country. Data were retrieved from the Institute of International Education, http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/International-Students/Leading-Places-of-Origin/2011-13.
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Chen, Q. (2017). Introduction. In: Globalization and Transnational Academic Mobility. East-West Crosscurrents in Higher Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-886-1_1
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