Internationalization of Higher Education in China with Spain: Challenges and Complexities

Abstract

The coronavirus 2019 pandemic has influenced the internationalization of higher education, reflecting its broader impacts on the economic, geopolitical, and technological development of countries. Governments have prioritized the internationalization of higher education post-pandemic to generate income and create a sustainable economy by cultivating foreign language talents. Although there are studies analyzing the internationalization of higher education through the students’ mobility, in our case, there is a scarcity of studies on the internationalization between China and Spain; in particular, Spanish universities lack references to attract more Chinese students. To bridge this gap in the literature, we conducted semi-structured interviews with eight experts in the implementation of internationalization in higher education from four universities in China and Spain. The findings reveal that internationalization is associated with promoting Chinese regional development, and their students can access better quality education. Key motivators for Chinese students in Spain include the improved world ranking of universities and the demand for more courses in English. Although the biggest obstacle to cooperation between both countries is communication, a trusted intermediary could overcome part of this problem. Moreover, the use of new technologies could facilitate sustainable internationalization and regional development.