Factors Influencing Life Satisfaction of International Students in Mainland China
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Factors Influencing Life Satisfaction of International Students in Mainland China Qinxu Jiang 1,2
1
& Mantak Yuen & Hugo Horta
3
# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract
China is advancing in its bid to internationalize higher education, but little is known to date about the life satisfaction of overseas students in that country. Life satisfaction can be understood as the extent to which individuals’ experiences in a host country help them achieve their personal goals and satisfy their expectations regarding acculturation. This paper examines past research, especially international literature, to provide an overview of factors that may influence the life satisfaction of international students in countries other than their own, and looks particularly at those matters that may also affect overseas students in China. Comparisons are made between variables identified in general and those in Asia, and specifically China. The findings have implications for policy-makers and university practitioners seeking to improve educational quality and counseling support services for international students. Keywords China . Counseling services . International students . Life satisfaction
Introduction In recent years, China has grown in prominence on the world stage. This includes its position as an emergent educational hub for international students (Wen and Hu 2019). Although many Chinese students undertake studies in North America, Western Europe and Oceania, China has also begun attracting increasing numbers of students from overseas. This phenomenon can be traced to the development of higher education in the country, with several Chinese universities now placing highly in world rankings, and to the country’s growing economic prominence (Jiani 2017). Data * Qinxu Jiang [email protected]
1
Center for Advancement and Inclusive and Special Education, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
2
Xuzhou Medical University, Yunlong District, Xuzhou, China
3
Social Contexts and Policies of Education, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling
from the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) indicate that in 2018, there were 492,185 international students from 196 countries and regions studying in 1,004 higher education institutions within China’s 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and provincial-level municipalities. This marks a six-fold increase from the total number of international students enrolled in China in 2008.1 Of course, it remains to be seen what effect the recent coronavirus outbreak, which originated in mainland China, will have on future trends. Most international students in China come from elsewhere in Asia (59.95%), with others coming from Africa (16.57%), Europe (14.96%), the Americas (7.26%) and Oceania (1.17%) (MOE 2019). Four of the top five countries of origin of these students are located
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