The Factors Motivating Mainland Chinese Students to Pursue Graduate Studies in Taiwan: Theoretical Exploration and Policy Analysis

• Main Authors: Cheng, Kuan-Jeng, 鄭冠榮
• Other Authors: Peng, Li-Chung
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/e6e874

博士 === 國立政治大學 === 國家發展研究所 === 106 === 　　Mainland China is the major source of foreign students worldwide. However, the unique political reasons across the Taiwan Strait resulted in Taiwan's belated policies for Chinese students admissions; policies only became effective in 2011. Taiwan legislators impose numerous limitations on international student policies because of social atmosphere, considerations of national security, and protection of local students’ interests. 　　With the increases in Chinese students coming to Taiwan each year, this research aims to fill in the academic gap regarding the cross-border of human resources of higher education. This study explores the factors that influence Chinese students’ choices in Taiwan by adopting the two-way-push-pull model, examining the structural factors at the macro level, institutional factors at the meso level and the Chinese students’ personal factors at the micro level, as well as the interactions among these three levels, in order to understand how diverse factors impact Chinese student’s choice to Taiwan. The research samples 40 Chinese students in Ph.D. or mater programs in Taiwan and employs literature survey, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and in-depth interviews. 　　The overall results conclude that the majority of Chinese students studying in Taiwan are from middle-class families with an academia related background. Students can be further categorized into three types: degree-oriented, work-oriented and marriage-oriented. Each type has their own purpose of choosing Taiwan and career paths after retuning to China. All students try hard to adapt the unique political atmosphere and institutional environments across-strait, seek an overseas studying strategy in their best interest based on their mobility, and attain maximum marginal utilities in response to the institutional limitations. 　　Finally, this study proposes a framework for Chinese students who come to Taiwan for graduate studies and return to China for future career, and addresses how Chinese students are affected by the push-and-pull and the interactions among macro environmental factors, meso institutional determinants and micro personal conditions.