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In contrast to the continued decline of liberal arts education in the US, there has been a revived interest in liberal arts education in Asian countries in recent years. Grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the central tenets of liberal arts education in the West, this paper looks into the struggles Asian countries face in their exploration of liberal arts education and provides a direction for Asian countries in their efforts to practice liberal arts education. This paper establishes the deep connections between humanistic approaches of the Confucian tradition and liberal arts education by pointing to a common ground for the education of humanity. Ultimately, the purpose of liberal arts education, in the East as well as in the West, should be the liberation of human beings from the constraints of ignorance, prejudice and traditional customs and through the cultivation of a cosmopolitan morality that emphasizes unity, solidarity and the fusion of humankind. Chinese universities should contemplate the purpose and value of higher education in the 21st century and tap into the rich resources of Confucianism in order to give its liberal arts education a "soul."

Through analysing data collected from interviews with 12 students and 7 teachers, observations, students' journals and other documents at a US high school, this qualitative study examines the sociocultural adaptation of "parachute kids" from mainland China. Emerging themes revealed adjustments to be made at three levels, namely, tangible, structural and mental ones. Parachute kids who had become separated from the host culture appeared to have refused to make adjustments at any of these three levels. Those who were found to be integrated were characterised by an open and curious mind, and were proactive in making adjustments at all three levels. In between separation and integration were children willing to make some adjustments, but not at the mental level.

Using global citizenship as the framework and guided by a phenomenological approach, this paper examines the experiences of overseas education on Chinese students studying in American high schools, and the mechanisms through which potential growth takes place. The data were collected from interviews with 15 Chinese students studying at American high schools and seven teacher participants who work closely with them. Findings reveal that international sojourning could potentially serve as an effective pathway to global citizenship because it may help international students develop global competencies (knowledge, understanding and skills), and global consciousness (values and attitudes). The paper argues that the process of growing into a global citizen may be viewed as an advanced level of student development, and the mechanisms through which this kind of ideal transformation takes place which were identified in this study include: having non-vanity motives, developing self-authorship, exposure to different perspectives, and experiencing disadvantages and deprivation.

Using cultural frameworks, and based on the author's personal experience and conversations with fellow Chinese and American graduate students, this essay analyzes the struggle for Chinese students who have to strike a balance between the American style of learning which is characterized by class discussion and the Chinese style of learning which encourages rote learning and memorization. To memorize or to discuss, that is the question, the question faced by nearly all Chinese university students who are displaced from their Chinese educational background into an American academic setting. It is much more than an issue of memorization or discussion; it is a matter of how one explores and interprets the world. An appropriate combination of the two will make an effective way of learning.

Through analyzing original survey data from 1012 ninth graders at 9 middle schools collected in Beijing in 2015 and adopting the frameworks of social stratification and Effectively Maintained Inequality, this study examines the differential in the choice of and access to such educational resources as studying overseas among different social strata in China. Particular attention is paid to students from those groups which are at an advantage in building networks and mobilizing social resources, namely high-ranking officials, wealthy business owners, and white-collar professionals. By analyzing how different social strata differ in their willingness and plan to study overseas, this empirical study has shown that studying overseas, which is considered an option for pursuing high-quality educational resources, has proven to be such a tool for advantaged social classes to maintain their status and for disadvantaged social classes to climb up the social ladder.

In contrast to the continued decline and bleak future of liberal arts education and liberal arts colleges in Europe and America, there has been a revival of the liberal arts model in Asian countries in recent years. This paper compares the liberal arts tradition of education in the West and Confucian tradition of education in the East, in the aspects of educational goal, curriculum, and pedagogy, as well as the way both traditions are institutionalized. It makes connections between these humanistic approaches to demonstrate the common ground for the education of mankind: human beings need to develop meaning for life and to be able to relate to others in order to have a fulfilling life, and highlights the importance of such humanistic approaches as liberal arts education and the Confucian tradition in an increasingly utilitarian and vocation-oriented world.

Using an original dataset collected at a Chinese university and adopting a difference-in-differences research design, this study draws causal inferences regarding the effect of the Government-Subsidized Student Loan Program (GSSLP) on financially needy students at Chinese higher education institutions. Specifically, this study finds that the program may have enabled financially needy students to spend 527.80 Chinese yuan more on food and take 26 hours less paid work on average during one academic year. In other words, the GSSLP has been found to have had positive impact on financially needy students' basic needs such as food and work. In order for the program to have greater impact on such students' overall quality of life, policy-makers should make efforts to increase maximum loan amounts. This will enable students from low income families to spend more on educational resources and reduce their finance-related anxiety.

China is making major efforts to increase national and global awareness of the ideas of Confucius (551-470 BCE), which are being applied to business and political leadership as part of [...]

Through analysing data collected from interviews with 12 students and 7 teachers, observations, students' journals and other documents at a US high school, this qualitative study examines the sociocultural adaptation of "parachute kids" from mainland China. Emerging themes revealed adjustments to be made at three levels, namely, tangible, structural and mental ones. Parachute kids who had become separated from the host culture appeared to have refused to make adjustments at any of these three levels. Those who were found to be integrated were characterised by an open and curious mind, and were proactive in making adjustments at all three levels. In between separation and integration were children willing to make some adjustments, but not at the mental level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through analyzing original survey data from 1012 ninth graders at 9 middle schools collected in Beijing in 2015 and adopting the frameworks of social stratification and Effectively Maintained Inequality, this study examines the differential in the choice of and access to such educational resources as studying overseas among different social strata in China. Particular attention is paid to students from those groups which are at an advantage in building networks and mobilizing social resources, namely high-ranking officials, wealthy business owners, and white-collar professionals. By analyzing how different social strata differ in their willingness and plan to study overseas, this empirical study has shown that studying overseas, which is considered an option for pursuing high-quality educational resources, has proven to be such a tool for advantaged social classes to maintain their status and for disadvantaged social classes to climb up the social ladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using cultural frameworks, and based on the author's personal experience and conversations with fellow Chinese and American graduate students, this essay analyzes the struggle for Chinese students who have to strike a balance between the American style of learning which is characterized by class discussion and the Chinese style of learning which encourages rote learning and memorization. To memorize or to discuss, that is the question, the question faced by nearly all Chinese university students who are displaced from their Chinese educational background into an American academic setting. It is much more than an issue of memorization or discussion; it is a matter of how one explores and interprets the world. An appropriate combination of the two will make an effective way of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]