An exploration of students' experiences and interpretations of an internationalisation policy implemented in a Chinese university: A case study

Abstract

This case study centres on the internationalisation policies of a Chinese university— University X—and examines how they are experienced and perceived by both this university’s international and home students. The study focuses on how the institutional system promotes not only the students’ development of intercultural communicative competence, but also their understanding and perceptions of their intercultural communication experience within this context.
The empirical findings of this study show first that 1) the internationalisation policies of this specific Chinese university relate to specific five areas. These relate to: the introduction of high-quality international education resources; attracting foreign students; faculty development; extracurricular (intercultural) activities; and management of the university’s administration system. The university’s policy initiatives and strategies correspond with three aspects of the theories that relate to the internationalisation of higher education These are: curriculum internationalisation; internationalisation at home; and, intercultural dialogue; 2) students’ experiences of the institutional system in terms of their perceptions of: their teachers and learning experience; their intercultural communication experience inside the classroom; their intercultural communication experience outside the classroom and within the wider community; and, their experiences with the university’s administrative system; and, 3) the variety of factors that influence both Chinese and international students’ development of intercultural competence and their understanding of intercultural communication experience with one another. These include: language issues; differences in motivation and life style; attitudes towards intercultural communication; and, rapport with the local community.
The study’s findings provide valuable insights into the development of students’ intercultural competence as a result of the institution’s internationalisation policy, and have practical implications for higher education internationalisation, especially in the context of China.