Post-Degree Completion Plan of Chinese and Korean Graduate Students in STEM

Abstract

Despite the increasing trend of international students’ mobility, the growing number of graduate students is returning to their home countries. This phenomenon raises concerns as the majority of international students major in the STEM fields, which heavily tied to countries’ economic innovation and global competitiveness. Thus, this research studies factors contributing to Chinese and Korean graduate students in the STEM fields’ return/stay decision after completing their studies. Two specific groups are selected due to their large population, both in the STEM and the international population. The mixed methodological approaches will be utilized to study the patterns of their decision-making choices with an in-depth understanding of their narratives. This study will contribute to explore the unique ways and strategies these international students use to negotiate and navigate the path even with the structural difficulties and barriers in the neoliberal university.