Chapter 3: Chinese International Students in Europe: Push, Pull, and Mooring Factors
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Emilie Tran Sautedé [2] ; Fei Vincent Mo [1]
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[1] Central European University
Central European University
Hungría
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[2] Hong Kong Metropolitan University
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- Localización: Handbook of Chinese Migration to Europe / Mette Thuno (ed. lit.), Simeng Wang (ed. lit.), Emilie Tran Sautedé (ed. lit.), Yu-chin Tseng (ed. lit.), 2025, ISBN 978-90-04-71214-0, págs. 99-131
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Following Deng Xiaoping’s decision in 1978 to send 3,000 students and scholars from the People’s Republic of China overseas annually, China has become the world’s largest source of study-abroad students, with many choosing Europe. However, numbers have declined since 2020. This chapter explores the experiences of Chinese students in Europe, including their motivations, academic experiences, life outside campus, engagement with homeland activities, and post-graduation plans. A modified push-pull-mooring (PPM) framework is used to analyse these experiences. Based on 34 interviews conducted from 2021 to 2023 with students from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan studying in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, this study examines their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and amid geopolitical tensions between China and the West. In contrast to other studies, our PPM model distinguishes push, pull, and mooring factors at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels. The chapter also highlights the diversity among Chinese international students, refuting the notion of their homogeneity. It contributes to future research on new trends in transnational education, particularly shifts in Chinese international students’ motivations in choosing their study destination and decisions to remain overseas to further their education.
