Empty Success or Brilliant Failure: An Analysis of Chinese Students' Study Abroad Experience in a Collaborative Master of Education Program

More than at any other time, the importance of internationalization and of establishing global partnerships in education is acknowledged by governments and higher education institutions. As a result, collaboration between institutions resulting in increased study abroad opportunities, now viewed as signifiers of internationalization, have multiplied. In joining the search for the improvement of study abroad programs, this study follows a cohort of 14 Chinese graduate students enrolled in a 2-year Master in Education program offered in a partnership between Northeast Normal University (NENU), China, and the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. The study was guided by the following research question: What is the nature and substance of the students' study abroad experience within the context of the NENU/UBC Collaborative Master's Program? Student interviews, questionnaires, and final program evaluations show that there is a fine line between success and failure of such experiences. The outcomes of this study point to the need for greater attention to at least four tensions in our program: the system of schooling versus the educative agenda, a teaching qualification versus a degree in Education, being tied to a desk versus being free to explore, and reporting on versus inquiring into practice.