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Academic identity formation is strongly influenced by higher education contexts. In the past decades, the Chinese higher education sector has attempted to integrate academic internationalization at the local level. In this context, international returnees and locally trained scholars may encounter different issues in the process of constructing academic identities at various stages of their careers. However, relatively few studies have critically analyzed how international returnees and locally trained scholars understand their academic identity formation during their student years, as they transition to becoming academics, and as they begin to become more established in academic roles under increasingly complex global-national-local conditions. Drawing upon the concept of social hybridization and the notion of global-national-local imbrications, this narrative study investigates six scholars' trajectories of academic identity formation across different stages of the early phase of their careers, including during their doctoral studies and their initial period as early career academics. The findings show that academics' identity development entails a process of struggle and confusion during earlier stages through to the construction of a more hybrid academic identity. By exploring the challenges and issues experienced by different cohorts of academics, scholars may better understand the internationalization of Chinese higher education and interweaving relationships with the global context.

Abstract Background Ethiopian migrants to the Middle East and South Africa are exposed to dangerous traveling and working conditions and their experiences are mostly tragic. They are unwelcomed not only by the situation in the destination but also by the community at home which is an important indicator of stigma and discrimination. However, there is lack of evidence on how psychological distress is associated with migration experiences, stigma and coping strategies. Therefore, it was aimed to determine the mediating effect of psychological distress in the association between migration experiences and stigma and discrimination and coping strategies. Methods A total of 739 Ethiopian migrant returnees from the Middle East and South Africa were included in the study. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five migration hotspot areas in Ethiopia, namely Addis Ababa, Dessie, Shashemene, Hossana, and Gondar. Data related to socio-demographic, economic, migration experiences, psychological distress, coping strategies, and stigma and discrimination were collected. Psychological distress was measured using the 21- item version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and coping strategies were measured with the Brief-COPE. Structural equation modeling was employed to estimate the relationship among variables. Results About 395 (57.33%) of the participants reported symptoms of depression, 428 (59.86%) anxiety symptoms, and 313 (45.21%) stress symptoms. The mediated association between physical violence and coping strategy through psychological distress was 0.29 (adjusted β = 0.29, 95%CI: 0.15, 0.44). Denial of salary had positive direct (adjusted β = 1.00, 95%CI: 0.50, 1.50) and mediated (adjusted β = 1.20, 95%CI: 0.71, 1.68) associations with stigma and discrimination through psychological distress. Restricted freedom had positive mediated (adjusted β = 0.39, 95%CI: 0.13, 0.65) and total (adjusted β = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.59, 1.29) associations with stigma and discrimination through psychological distress. Conclusion Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms are common among migrant returnees. Religious practice is the most commonly used coping mechanism. Psychological distress has positive mediating association with the relationships between denial of salary by employers and stigma and discrimination, physical violence and coping strategy, and restricted freedom and stigma and discrimination. Psychological interventions to deal with the psychological distress and stigma and discrimination of migrant returnees and to encourage the practice of positive coping strategies are warranted.

This paper argues that access to quality education and skills development programs for refugees, returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is not only one of the fundamental human rights that states and non-state actors have obligations to fulfill; it is also an integral part of sustainable development efforts which will have significant contributions to socio-economic transformation in host countries, countries of origin and countries of destinations in the event that refugees become migrant, which is sometimes the case. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region, consisting of eight member states, namely, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, host more than 13 million forcibly displaced people. This results from protracted and devastating conflicts; drought and famine and other natural or man-made calamities. Within the IGAD region, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan produce 80 to 90% of displacement due to protracted civil wars. However, almost all the member states have refugees, IDPs or migrants sheltered in their territories. Access to higher education among refugees, returnees and IDPs is very low at only 3% compared to 36% globally. The figure for Africa is still dismal, at less than 1%; and the same holds true for the IGAD region. In an effort to address this major challenge facing these population categories, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) convened a high level regional (Ministerial Conference) on refugee education held in Djibouti, 12-14 December 2017. That Conference adopted what is now called the Djibouti declaration and Plan of Action for refugee education in the IGAD region. The major purpose of this paper was is to outline the refugee situations in general and the state of higher education in the region in particular.

Informed by Bourdieu's conceptualisation of habitus and its relation with social class, this study explores the construction and negotiation of middle-class identity among a group of urban overseas returnees in China. Using ethnographic interviews and online observational data, the study found that participants built a compliant identity conforming to their parents' expectations and metrics of being 'middle-class'. However, they resisted their families' positioning and the ideal class role images imposed upon them. In their workplace, participants negotiated this middle-class identity mainly by exhibiting professional qualities drawing upon their linguistic capital and new habitus gained through their overseas educational experiences. The privileged identity that the participants exhibited, however, was not without dilemmas and struggles due to their different set of habitus and linguistic practices. Finally, participants were found to project a new middle-class image with translanguaging practice and distinctive lifestyles by co-constructing a 'returnees circle'.

Abstract Chinese universities typically demonstrate a preference for individuals with overseas educational experience in their faculty recruitment policies. However, there is a notable lack of research examining whether and to what extent overseas returnees possess an advantage over domestic graduates in securing employment at higher-ranking universities. To address this research gap, this study employs propensity score matching to compare the probability of being employed as academic faculty by prestigious universities between these two cohorts. This study entails the compilation of curriculum vitae data from faculty members at prestigious universities in China, totaling ~90,000 resumes. The results substantiate a positively skewed influence of overseas education on academics’ career advancement. Overseas returnees are more likely to obtain academic positions at higher-ranking universities compared to domestic graduates, with this effect demonstrating a consistent upward trend over time. Further subgroup analyses revealed that the advantage of overseas education varies among faculties graduating from different undergraduate institutions and undergoes changes over time. The latest trend indicates that those who attended Project 985 universities during their undergraduate stage derive the most significant advantages from studying abroad during their doctoral phase.

IntroductionIn the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reintegration of Chinese international student returnees intersects with China’s critical effort to combat a significant brain drain of highly skilled talents, highlighting an unprecedented psychological battleground. This convergence underscores the urgent need for nuanced research to navigate the uncharted territory of their mental health.MethodsEmploying Bayesian analysis supported by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms, this study examined depression prevalence and associated factors among 1,014 Chinese returnees. The sample comprised 44.87% male participants (455), 51.58% female participants (523), and 3.55% identifying as “Others” (36), with an age distribution of 61.74% aged 18-30 (626), 28.80% aged 31-40 (292), and 9.47% aged 41-50 (96). The mean age of participants was 29.6 years, ranging from 18 to 50 years. PHQ-9 diagnoses revealed alarming levels of depression, with 47.9% exhibiting a moderately severe degree of depressive disorder.ResultsOur findings highlight the intricate interplay between identity clusters— “homestayers” (those leaning towards a Chinese cultural identity), “navigators” (those with a bicultural identity), and “wayfarers” (those leaning towards a foreign cultural identity)—and the likelihood of depression. Specifically, homestayers showed a clear and strong negative association, navigators demonstrated a positive association, and wayfarers had a positive yet unclear correlation with depression levels. Furthermore, acculturation, age, and gender showed no significant effects, whereas education mildly mitigated depression.DiscussionBased on these findings, we suggest the implementation of better-tailored mental health support and policies to facilitate smoother reintegration.

Pacific Island states face high levels of criminal deportations arriving from the United States, Australia and New Zealand—with the expectation that returnees will simply reintegrate. However, reintegration into a country that individuals often do not remember, or know the language or cutural protocols of, can be difficult. Returnees may face social stigma and/or subsequent surveillance and legal requirements on their return: the latter known in scholarly literature as ‘crimmigration creep’. In this article, we examine the case of Samoa, which has taken a unique culture-centric approach to reintegration through the establishment of the quasi-governmental Samoa Returnees Charitable Trust, rejecting external ‘one-size-fits-all’ approaches. We argue that this exertion of Samoa’s agency has led to a delay in crimmigration creep.

Following uncertainty surrounding the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits and changes to immigration policies and laws regulating the employment of foreigners in South Africa, Zimbabwe has been witnessing the return migration of families from South Africa. This phenomenon is also exacerbated by the increasing xenophobic sentiment infecting South African society. Some returnees are accompanied by children who were born in South Africa and speak South African languages. Coming from a country that does not support the teaching of immigrant language presents unique challenges for their schooling and assimilation into the Zimbabwean linguistic and cultural milieu. Families are thus faced with the task of ensuring their children’s linguistic re-socialisation to align with the language requirements of the new setting. Drawing on the concept of Family Language Policy, this qualitative study focused on the reflections of purposively selected Zimbabwean parents who have recently returned from South Africa to understand how their language ideologies contextually shape decisions around children’s language socialisation in South Africa and upon return to Zimbabwe. Findings show that their family language policies are largely aspirational, reflecting the families’ imagined future identities and changing life trajectories. Their dynamic family language policies are also a response to the sociopolitical and educational context of the hostland and homeland.

Pre-pandemic, the international education marketplace was expanding rapidly along with cross-border educational mobilities. Researchers have explored the adaptions of international students to study destinations, notably within an acculturation framework. However, researchers have given less attention to adapting to life in the country of origin that international students encounter as returnees. It is commonplace for returning graduates to transition from higher education to employment. Despite such challenges, few studies have investigated how international students reintegrate into the job markets of their home countries. In this paper, we discuss the current state of relevant research on acculturation and reacculturation and provide a foundation for future research. Finally, theoretical and practical contributions in the field of counselling and guidance are provided.

How is the well-being of returnees when considered from the point of view of the migration experience abroad? To answer this question, the first hypothesis considers that returnees differ in the function of the key activity they had abroad – working, studying or living there without working or studying. Secondly, even if one maintains constant socio-demographic profiles, the country of return counts. Thirdly, it depends also on the facet of subjective well-being (SWB) that is considered – the happiness of living in a certain country of the European Union or a person’s satisfaction with life, country, public services or income. The results of the multivariate analysis indicate that experience of migration, country of current residence and facets of SWB all count. Returnees – through their experience of migration abroad – are compared to non-migrants. The answers come from analysing data from a large Eurobarometer survey in the European Union. Multivariate regression and cluster analysis are the main data-processing procedures. The stability of the results is tested by sensitivity analysis.

The study explores the lived experiences of women migrant returnees in Nigeria. It aims to highlight the motivation and push factors for migration, understand the challenges and lived experiences of migrant women, and appraise their integration and sense of belonging. Through referrals and purposive sampling, a total of 20 migrant women were recruited and interviewed. The inclusion criteria include those who have lived and worked in the diaspora for a minimum of 5 years and 2 years as a returnee in Nigeria, respectively. The exclusion criteria involve women who migrated with families and those considered professionals. Themes were identified with the NVivo (v.12) qualitative software and the Content Qualitative Analytical tool employed to interpret these themes. The need for migration for many women includes access to improved economic life, infrastructure, and amenities, means of sustaining families in the home country, and improved social and political security. The lived experience of women migrants in the diaspora includes sexual harassment, rape, forced and inhumane labour practices, low wages, isolation and depression, and xenophobia. For many returnees, the challenge includes unemployment, integration, family support, inflation, and financial insolvency. The quest for integration and belonging is limited for many returnees. The paper argues for more robust migration policies and a well-established policy of integration for migrant returnees. The study recommends a more monitoring effort of the activities of the Nigerian border. This recommendation becomes crucial with the porous borders in Nigeria through which people, including women, migrate to other countries illegally and undocumented.

Return migration flow to Bulgaria is constant but not high, except for the past two years. Here, we argue that subjective and objective reasons should both be considered in line to explain life prospects of young returnees at home. An innovative approach to balancing the subjective-objective dichotomy in return migration phenomena is measuring sustainability of return through re-emigration, captured by and tested through a re-emigration index based on a national representative survey of returning Bulgarian migrants. The main hypothesis is that the sustainability of the return of young people depends on a complex group of factors, including social and emotional motives. The main findings are about the magnitude of the return migration flow and its sustainability: The factors for the return of young Bulgarians in the pre-Covid research show strong non-economic character, which intensifies in times of crisis. There are no significantly different tendencies for re-emigration/return among young people compared with all returnees.

IntroductionThis study investigates the heritage language performance of Turkish-German returnees upon their reintegration into Turkey and explores the impact of external factors on their proficiency in the (re-)activated heritage language (HL).MethodsData collection involved the participation of 28 Turkish heritage speakers and a control group of 28 monolingual speakers. The language proficiency of both groups was assessed through a cloze test and an error correction task with a focus on converbial constructions, evidentiality and direct object case marking in Turkish. A sociolinguistic background questionnaire was used to obtain information about their language experiences. The study focused on understanding the individual and group differences in returnee’s heritage language performance. Additionally, random forest analysis was employed to investigate the relative influence of external factors on individual variability within the returnee group.Results and DiscussionThe analysis of results revealed notable group differences between the returnees and the control group, emphasizing the unique linguistic challenges faced by those who returned to Turkey. Within the returnee group, there was considerable individual variability in heritage language performance. The subsequent exploration of individual variation highlighted the significant role of external factors. Notably, the length of residence in Germany, the age at which participants returned to Turkey, and the frequency of Turkish language use in their migration context emerged as significant predictors of the returnee participants’ proficiency in their (re-)activated HL. Surprisingly, formal contact with the dominant German language did not exert a substantial impact on the returnees’ language proficiency, suggesting the nuanced influence of various external factors on heritage language development.

In the mobile era, place attachment among rural migrants and returnees has become dynamic and diversified. However, research on place attachment to native place among rural migrants and returnees is limited. The focus of previous research has primarily been on the destination place attachment of rural migrants, which makes it difficult to gain a comprehensive understanding of the place attachment among both rural migrants and returnees. This study aims to investigate the state of place attachment to both native and destination places among rural migrants and returnees originating from the same birthplace. It explores their place attachment after migrating from rural areas to cities. A quantitative research approach was adopted, garnering questionnaire responses from 274 rural migrants and returnees, all born in Shuangfeng County, Hunan Province. The questionnaire encompassed a Likert scale for measuring place attachment, as well as sociodemographic statistical information. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to ascertain the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Based on the factor scores of place attachment to both places from migrants and returnees, a two-step cluster analysis identified three types of migrants and two types of returnees. Chi-square tests revealed significant differences among migrants in terms of property ownership, educational level, marital status, presence of children, age at departure, and time away from hometown. The study discovered that, regardless of being a migrant or returnee, the overall attachment to hometown was stronger than that to the current or previously inhabited city. In the context of existing literature primarily concerned with the integration of rural migrants into urban areas, this paper offers a fresh research perspective, highlighting the significance of emotional ties to one’s hometown for rural migrants. The findings of this paper provide direction and a theoretical basis for rural areas to attract return migration and for urban regions to facilitate the integration of migrants.

The Documentary Hypothesis proposed by Julius Wellhausen has sparked discussions for over a century. The core of this debate revolves around the perspective through which the creation of the Torah should be viewed. Previous studies have often neglected the focus on “people”. The Torah was created by individuals and was profoundly influenced by the era in which they lived. In this specific study, instead of concentrating on the texts or historical background, we should focus on the “authors” or “redactors”, exploring how they processed and created the texts under the influence of their times. In Jewish history, the destruction of the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom played a crucial role in the creation of the Torah. After the fall of the Northern Kingdom, the Deuteronomists, reflecting on historical lessons, formulated a set of legal norms for theology and society, which established theological standards for further interpreting and writing ancient Jewish history. Following the destruction of the Southern Kingdom, Diaspora group and Returnees, centered on reflecting on their catastrophes and responding to contemporary crises, further created and integrated texts of ancestral traditions and the Promised Land, embedding the historical memory of ancestors-land for the Jewish people.

Addressing the re-employment problem for women returning to their hometowns in China is fundamental to implement the strategy of rural vitalization. The re-employment for female returnees is essential for promoting the harmonious development of local society and the local economic development in their hometowns. By reviewing the development history of intangible cultural heritage industrialization in Taijiang County, Guizhou Province, we have conducted field research on the Miao embroidery industry supported by the public welfare program "Mothers' Production", which mainly involves female returnees in this area. After sorting out the positive effects of "Mothers' Production" on female returnees'income, family care, participation in local affairs, cultural self-confidence, etc., we clarify the role of female returnees and "Mothers' Production" in promoting the social economy and cultural development of rural areas, aiming to provide a referential experience for linking the group of female returnees and the intangible cultural heritage industry to support rural revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific Island states face high levels of criminal deportations arriving from the United States, Australia and New Zealand--with the expectation that returnees will simply reintegrate. However, reintegration into a country that individuals often do not remember, or know the language or cutural protocols of, can be difficult. Returnees may face social stigma and/or subsequent surveillance and legal requirements on their return: the latter known in scholarly literature as 'crimmigration creep'. In this article, we examine the case of Samoa, which has taken a unique culturecentric approach to reintegration through the establishment of the quasi-governmental Samoa Returnees Charitable Trust, rejecting external 'one-size-fits-all' approaches. We argue that this exertion of Samoa's agency has led to a delay in crimmigration creep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the rising tide of international student return mobility, the UK needs to pay attention to the long-term circulation and development of international student returnees. This study analyses the mobility, variations and pathways of the transnational in-between identity of Chinese student returnees from the UK, an under-researched group in the changing dynamics of international student mobility. This longitudinal study uses original data from 48 semi-structured interviews to show how student returnees' identities change over time in transnational sociocultural contexts. This study develops a spider chart comprising multiple manifestations of transnational selves to account for returnees' intermediary and heterogeneous states of transnational in-between identities. Based on the empirical evidence, the study finds that transnational in-between identity is characterised by a 'self-in-between mobility', seeking compromises and connections between the polar extremes of essentialist and non-essentialist approaches to identity. In such an identification process, the changing dynamics of agency play a pivotal role in (re)shaping multiple identity pathways as variegated temporal outcomes of mobility. The findings not only advance the theoretical and methodological constructs of identity, but also have implications for relevant concerns in international education.

AbstractIn this study, we examine the gendered experiences of Chinese returnees within a double liminality formed by prolonged border crossing and the COVID-19. Through qualitative interviews, we identified three themes based on features of liminality observed by Victor Turner: 1) gender norms ostensibly challenged but actually reinforced in the anti-structure, 2) kinship and romantic relationships renegotiated for comradeship, and 3) gender awareness gained through personal reflexivity. We seek to uncover the profound effects of these experiences within a complex space-time construct between points of departure from host countries and arrival at home. We hope to enrich scholarly discussions of gender dynamics observed in transnational mobility during a global health crisis and facilitate policy makers’ recognition of the gendered disparities in treatment for physical and mental suffering during a pandemic border-crossing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unique to this paper is a gendered examination of return migration from the point of view of male return migrants. I analyze the perspectives of repatriated male migrant workers during their return migration in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a discussion of time as "accumulated delay," I suggest that the (de)constructions of masculinity concerning overseas Filipino workers' (OFWs) experiences of waiting and delay under repatriation and quarantine can be understood through the theoretical lens of immobility in migration research. I suggest that systemic delays in the circulation of global capital, necessitated by the global health pandemic, challenged migrant men's cohesive narrative of migrant productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the Chinese economy shifts from factor-driven to innovation-driven growth, Chinese firms are increasingly lacking highly skilled talents. In this context, attracting high-skill returnees might represent an effective strategy to access knowledge. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between high-skill returnees and innovation of Chinese publicly listed firms. We construct a unique dataset of 2,499 firms over the period 2002–16 by combining three different data sources (i.e. Chinese Research Data Services Platform, China Stock Market & Accounting Research Database, and LinkedIn). Our results show that different typologies of returnees (employees, technologists, and managers) with different experiences abroad (work vs study) may bring back different skills and impact differently on firm innovation. Our main findings show that (1) returnee employees and technologists are positively associated with firm's patenting; (2) returnees' overseas work experience matters more than study experience; and (3) the positive role of returnees is subject to contingencies related to firm characteristics such as ownership, location, and size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]