Comparative Study Of Internationalization Of Higher Education In China And Ethiopia

This comparative case study was the attempt to understand the values that drive internationalization of higher education and explore how these values influence international student mobility in both contexts.In doing this the meaning,rationale,strategies and experiences internationalization of higher education in Zhejiang Normal University of China(case one)and Jimma University of Ethiopia(case two)were explored.In seeking an empirical and contextual data the following four basic research questions were guiding framework of the study.(1)What does internationalization of higher education mean?(2)What rationales derive international student mobility within the framework of internationalization of higher education?(3)What policies and strategies used to steer the mobility and address challenges of international student mobility?(4)What are the trend experiences of international student mobility?Qualitative multi-level case study design is employed aiming at thick data collection through exploring perceptions and experiences of participants through semi-structured,face to face in-depth interviews.A total of 61 participants purposely selected and involved based on their experiences and current position in the case universities and ministry of education.Hence senior professors,university leaders,relevant office experts and heads and international students were the main data sources.Consulting policy documents and relevant literature for a better grasp of the background and trends of international student mobility were also sources of data.The study is conducted at three levels-national,institutional and individual levels,to examine the resonance of the issue among the first two levels and to explore the expectation and experiences of the third level to reflect on the practice.The former two levels slightly compared while the third level is designed and used as a reflection of the practice in both cases.The data collected through interview were transcribed,coded,thematically organized with the finding from policy and other documents and observation and interpreted case by case,not to distort the local color/contextual meaning.Finally,cross-case analysis and display is employed to recap the findings and support of the phenomenon in both cases.Some of the key findings are:the cases display similarity in conceptual issues-meaning and rationale of internationalization and display differences in two practical matters-approaches,strategies and experiences.In both cases internationalization of higher education is perceived as a response to local and global needs.The major motivation for internationalization is semantically similar at national and institutional levels between the two cases but depicts contextual differences.In case one the value driving internationalization is the government's desire to enhance the leading role of higher education institutions in the countries strive for building a modern socialist nation.Similarly,in case two,the pronounced value is to enable higher education institutions to play important role in strive for poverty reduction and become a middle-income country.The approaches and practices of internationalization of higher education in general and addressing the international student issues found to be a visible difference between the cases both at national as well as at institutional levels.In case one,internationalization of higher is national development strategy,it is among the top priority of the government.The government devised fundamental policy clear guidelines and to lead bylaws both at national and institutional levels,it seems there is not room for ambiguity between the levels.The policy is supported with clear guidelines and very organized agencies like the China Government Scholarship Council(CSC)with a strong link with higher education institutions in attracting international students.Contrary to this,in case two,internationalization of higher education was not among the top priority of the country,as a result there is no comprehensive national or institutional policy for internationalization.There are general legal frameworks that authorize higher education institutions to collaborate with international institutions and strength cooperation for capacity building and other academic purposes.There is no responsible body or agency in ministry of education that deal with internationalization and international student mobility.Reach out and bring found to be a unique and effective strategy changed the landscape of internationalization of higher education from traditional to new phase Internationalization with Chinese characteristics.The reach out and bring in found to be one of the unique feature of Chinese strategy of internationalization with various purposes.It includes exchange students and attracting inbound international students as well as promoting Chinese culture and language through opening Confucius institutes(CI)around the world.As a result,China changed its position from the world's major origin of international students to one of the top major-destination of international student in less than two decades.In case two there are few fragmented activities of internationalization,frequent introduction of new change tools-the adoption of Bologna process and its elements to improve quality standard of teaching and learning in the universities.There is no national strategy for attracting international students;as a result Ethiopia remains in 2000s where the two important higher education proclamations stipulated.Both Zhejiang Normal University and Jimma University approached internationalization strategically.Zhejiang Normal University adapts the national strategy to its context involved in internationalizing its functions aggressively.Jimma University,on top of traditional practices of the elements of internationalization,recently made internationalization a strategic core point of the institution as a new start.Both institutions consider internationalization as an opportunity to respond to their missions and visions.The main motivation for both institutions was found to the desire to produce a competent global graduate who can compete in the knowledge economy of the 21st century.In Zhejiang Normal University government is the major external driving factor while the desire for visibility is an internal factor for internationalization.For Jimma University,the major external driving factor is the pressure of globalization,while the desire in institutional visibility is internal driving factor.It is found that attracting potential international student and staff is a challenge and main strategic issues in both institutions.Similarly attracting the partnership and cooperation of famous universities in the west found to be challenge with the intention of maintain own core value within the overriding hegemonic dominance of the west is somehow found to be a concern in both cases but more sensed in case two than case one.It is recommended that twining with one another will increase visibility that potential international students and partners will be attracted.