Reversed Student Mobility: Canadian Exchange Students’ Motivations for Studying in Mainland China

Download or read book Reversed Student Mobility: Canadian Exchange Students’ Motivations for Studying in Mainland China written by Shuai Yu University of Alberta, Canada and published by Journal of International Students. This book was released on with total page 19 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In order to promote Canadian students’ mobility to China, it is essential to understand their motivations to study in Chinese universities because it influences their learning experiences. Through the application of the push-pull model as a conceptual framework (Altbach, 1998; Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002), this study explores the factors that motivate Canadian exchange students to study in China. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 non-Chinese spoken Canadian exchange students from 9 universities. The findings reveal that both push and pull factors affect students’ decisions to study in China. The key push factors are learning the Chinese language and culture and personal growth; the primary pull factors are China’s potential for economic development, future opportunities, and the availability of exchange programs. This study provides stakeholders with insights into designing exchange programs targeted to students’ needs and developing marketing strategies to attract Canadian international students