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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 1

Publication Date: January 25, 2024

DOI:10.14738/assrj.111.16222.

Tan, X., Lajium, D. A. D., & Pang, V. (2024). Brief Introduction on the Internationalization of Local Universities in China. Advances in

Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(1). 87-91.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Brief Introduction on the Internationalization of Local

Universities in China

Xianjun Tan

Department of International Cooperation and Exchange, Sichuan University of

Science and Engineering, Xueyuan Street, Zigong City, China & Faculty of

Psychology and Education, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, Kota

Kinabalu, Malaysia

Denis Andrew D. Lajium

Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universiti Malaysia Sabah,

Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Vincent Pang

Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universiti Malaysia Sabah,

Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Local Universities are the main body of the higher education institutions in China.

Under the guidance of the national policy, local universities have implemented

educational internationalization. The development of educational

internationalization, the implementation of educational internationalization, the

sustenance mechanism of educational internationalization and problems of

educational internationalization in the local universities of China are introduced in

this research. Under the “Belt and Road” initiative, local universities in China should

take various measures to develop educational internationalization.

Keywords: Local Universities, Higher Education Institution, Educational

Internationalization

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

According to the Ministry of Education of China (2023), until May 31 of 2022, there are 2759

higher education institutions in China. Among them, 118 universities are governed under

ministries and commissions, such as Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Security and

National Health Commission. The number of the local universities is 2641, which accounts for

96% of the general higher education institutions in China. The basic task for local universities

of China is to serve the local social and economic development. These universities are governed

under the local government and the main source of funds are allocated by local government

(Liang, 2010). In July of 2016, Ministry of Education of China issued a document named

Promoting Joint Construction of the "Belt and Road" Education Action. It demonstrated Chinese

government provided policy and monetary support for the educational internationalization.

Under the guidance of the national policy, the local universities in China have endeavored to

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 1, January-2024

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promote internationalization based on their own situation. Different education actions have

been implemented by the local universities in the past several years.

DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL INTERNATIONALIZATION

China was founded in 1949, from the founding year to 1965, educational internationalization

of local universities includes several aspects. First, international two-way exchange was

conducted at the teacher level. Second, international two-way exchange at the university,

provincial and national level appeared. Third, international two-way exchange was conducted

at the student level. From 1966 to 1977, there was a stagnation of international exchange at all

levels. From 1978 to 1990s, more international two-way exchange was conducted at the

teacher level. Recovery and development of international two-way exchange at the university,

provincial and national level appeared. More international two-way exchange was conducted

at the student level. After stepping into 21st century, the newly formulated policies of China

boost the educational internationalization of local universities. Gradually, local universities

have diversified goals of opening up and multi-level development in their educational

internationalization (Xiong, 2019). From 2016 to now, after the issue of the document named

Promoting Joint Construction of the "Belt and Road" Education Action (Ministry of Education of

China, 2016), the combination of national strategies and educational internationalization not

only promotes the influence and status of local universities, but also boosts the own

development of these universities.

IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL INTERNATIONALIZATION

Internationalization of talent cultivating, scientific research, teaching staff development and

campus culture are implemented by the local universities of China (Liu, 2015). In terms of

internationalization of talent cultivating, first of all, local universities should conduct research

on the theory of world higher education and sort out the training mode of international talents

in various countries. Local universities should introduce quality courses from foreign countries.

Local universities could conduct Chinese-foreign cooperation education program and learning

exchange program. Local universities should strengthen foreign language teaching and

promote cross-border education. Local universities should cultivate the intercultural

communication competence and language application ability of the students by improving the

foreign language teaching. Local universities could endeavor to construct Confucius Institute,

which can spread the outstanding traditional culture of China. Local universities could provide

degree programs to international students. In terms of internationalization of scientific

research, local universities could establish research institutes or research centers with

research institutions or universities abroad. Local universities could implement joint

international research projects with foreign counterparts. Local universities could organize

international academic conferences and forums, and encourage Chinese teachers to attend

academic conferences abroad. When cultivating postgraduate students, especially doctoral

students, local universities could collaborate with foreign universities to internationalize the

scientific research. In terms of internationalization of teaching staff development, local

universities should support young teachers to go abroad for academic exchange or degree

programs. Local universities could invite foreign specialists and foreign language teachers to

work for a short term or for a long term. Local universities should formulate policy to support

the oversea experience of teachers. The experience of studying or working abroad should be

linked with the position appointment and professional title appraisal. In terms of

internationalization of campus culture, local universities could use the campus network and

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Tan, X., Lajium, D. A. D., & Pang, V. (2024). Brief Introduction on the Internationalization of Local Universities in China. Advances in Social Sciences

Research Journal, 11(1). 87-91.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.111.16222

campus bulletin board to introduce information about international exchange and higher

education development in other countries. Local universities could provide courses covering

the knowledge of world politics, economy, culture and history. Local universities could organize

overseas alumni association. Local universities could organize cultural festivals to publicize

foreign languages and foreign customs.

SUSTENANCE MECHANISM OF EDUCATIONAL INTERNATIONALIZATION

Local universities should have ideological sustenance mechanism. Administrators, teachers,

staff, and students in the universities should establish international awareness. Local

universities should have facilities sustenance mechanism. Investment in facilities provides

sound conditions for the learning, teaching, studying and scientific research for the foreign

teachers, foreign experts and international students, and for the Chinese teachers and students

as well. Local universities should have fund sustenance mechanism. Local universities could

provide provincial scholarship and university scholarship for international students, fund from

China Scholarship Council for Chinese teachers and students. Local universities should have

administrative staff sustenance mechanism. Local universities should have full time and part- time staff responsible for international affairs. Local universities should have institutional

sustenance mechanism. Rules and regulations related to international affairs should be

formulated in the local universities.

PROBLEMS IN EDUCATIONAL INTERNATIONALIZATION

According to Wu and Wang (2015), some local universities only pay attention to the enrollment

of international students and lack a comprehensive understanding of educational

internationalization. The specialties and courses for internationalization of the local

universities are homogeneous. The financial expenditure of local universities on international

education is inadequate. Local universities lack scientific research strength. According to Liu

(2015), local colleges and universities lack market competitiveness and educational resources.

It is difficult for local universities to cross language barriers, gain and use the advanced

educational materials and network-based information resources. Local universities lack clear

development goals. Local universities, local governments and local enterprises lack effective

cooperation mechanism. Local universities have unbalanced regional economic development.

According to Zhang (2017), some local universities are located in less developed provinces and

have little attraction to international students. People in some provinces of China have

relatively conservative concept and local universities in these provinces are satisfied with

status quo and self-imposed in the international development. The international development

of local universities is influenced by regional situation, for example, local universities in the

northeast of China is influenced by the situation in Korea peninsula. Local universities have a

relatively unitary funding source and mainly depend on the provincial financial appropriation.

In the opening up to the outside world, local universities in each province often do their own

things and fail to form a joint force. According to Li (2017), local universities lack resources,

have limited ability of opening up the outside world, have relatively backward concept of

international education, have relatively weak teaching staff, have a gap between the talent

cultivation goal and the international standards, and lack international atmosphere on campus.

According to Jiang (2019), local universities lack the concept of international development. In

some local universities, the foreign language teaching is regarded as the international

cultivation of students. Local universities have unsatisfactory performance in the cultivation of

international communication ability. Local universities lack systematic plan for international

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education. The main constraint to the internationalization development of local universities is

that they generally lack funds, because grants from local governments are the main source of

funds for the international cultivation of students. Teaching staff in the local universities lack

high international level. For the Chinese teachers with no overseas experience, it is difficult for

them to join the overseas program and international research projects. The international

teachers in some local universities cannot get on well with Chinese teachers and students and

cannot adapt to the local environment well, which is a waste of human resources. Local

universities generally lack international cooperation programs and platforms. Local

universities lack international learning and living atmosphere. Local universities lack effective

management and learning model to connect the Chinese students with international students.

Chinese students in local universities are not keen on going abroad for exchange or study

because there are few opportunities for them to go abroad and there is insufficient publicity of

international exchange programs. Local universities generally lack international teaching

system and their students lack competition in the international market. According to Zhao

(2019), the number of international students studying for degree programs in the local

universities is not high. The number of Chinese-foreign cooperation education programs

approved by the Ministry of Education of China in the local universities is not high. Local

universities lack teachers who are qualified for international teaching. The curriculum and the

teaching model in the local universities barely meet the international standards. Local

universities have insufficient international atmosphere. The Chinese students from relatively

poor families in the local universities lack confidence and ability in international

communication. The communication between Chinese students and international students in

many local universities is yet to be desired.

Based on the previous study, it can be seen that there are external and internal problems for

the internationalization of local universities in China. External problems involve fund,

geological location, and regional situation. More problems are internal problems, such as the

internationalization plan, the concept of international development, the internationalization

goal, the quality of teaching staff, the scientific research capability and the international

atmosphere on campus.

CONCLUSION

Local universities in China should take various measures to achieve internationalization

development. Under the “Belt and Road” initiative, local universities should attach great

importance to the educational internationalization. Local universities should formulate long- term development plans. Local universities should conduct various cultural exchange with

counterparts from the countries along the "Belt and Road" route. Local universities should raise

funds from multiple channels for the development of internationalization. Local universities

should have plan to train internationalized teachers and internationalized administrative staff.

Local universities could join the "Universities Alliance of the New Silk Road" to seek

cooperation (Ren, 2019). In order to enhance the quality of higher education, intentional

internationalization is needed (Knight & De Wit, 2018). With the policy support of the

government, local universities in China should develop educational internationalization

intentionally and improve the education quality.

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Tan, X., Lajium, D. A. D., & Pang, V. (2024). Brief Introduction on the Internationalization of Local Universities in China. Advances in Social Sciences

Research Journal, 11(1). 87-91.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.111.16222

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