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The number of international students studying for a degree program in China was approaching a quarter of a million in 2017, roughly ten times that in 2003. China, a developing country, has become one of the biggest destinations for international student mobility (ISM). Thus, how it has managed to achieve this within only one and a half decades, what it plans to do with such a success, and what that means for the world remain open for interpretation. This increase is an economical grow which demonstrates the country's success in governance and generosity in international aid, while it is also a result of an internationalization policy of higher education which is viewed by central government as an arena for exercising soft power in world politics. It is difficult when trying to reach a persuasive conclusion without a comprehensive review of what happened in this period via a thorough examination of ISM data in a context of rapid policy change. This paper consists of four sections to identify the key driver(s) behind this sharp rise of student numbers from overseas. The first section is an introduction with a brief review of both theoretical and empirical aspects, followed by a short discussion on methodology. The second section is a review of key policy documents impacting on the development of ISM in modern China. The third section provides a general picture of ISM policy in China by analyzing official data. The final section reflects on the findings of the present study and concludes the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated outcomes of the provision, by one Australian and two U.K. universities, of bridging programs that allow registered Malaysian nurses to upgrade their diploma qualifications to degree level. The study was informed by current literature on Transnational Higher Education (TNHE) programs. Not sufficiently explored in the literature are nurses’ lived experiences of such programs and how far they apply TNHE theory in clinical practice. Using hermeneutic phenomenology, interviews were conducted with 18 Malaysian nurses who completed these TNHE programs. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings were that personal and professional development did occur but it cannot be attributed entirely to the quality of the TNHE provision, which all nurses found to be problematic. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors mediated how far nurses applied the taught theory in their clinical practice. Longitudinal research is needed to identify the long-term impacts of TNHE programs on clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, an increasing number of major universities have set up international branch campuses (IBCs). There are now more than 200 IBCs, with more under development. Little is known about the unique challenges that face IBC managers, who are normally seconded from the home university to set up and operate the satellite campus in a new and alien environment. At the same time, there are significant financial and reputational risks for the home university should an IBC fail. This article reports the results of a qualitative study into the “lived experiences” of IBC managers working in the three largest host markets for IBCs—China, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates. It finds that the fundamental challenge for managers is balancing the competing demands of a range of internal and external stakeholders and concludes that universities need to do more to prepare and support IBC managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]