The Implementation of “Internationalization at Home” In a Chinese Research University: An Empirical Study from the Student Perspective

Abstract

The disruption of traditional internationalization of higher education due to the pandemic has arisen more awareness of internationalization at home, an effective pathway surpassing spatial mobility. This study aims at depicting the implementation of internationalization at home in one of the top Chinese research universities and revealing the influential factors that affect students’ participation in international-related activities. This study conducted online questionnaires and adopted 174 high-quality responses. The results show that: (1) students’ global cognition and the university’s international atmosphere and resources have a significant positive impact on students’ participation in international activities. (2) their global competence and the understanding and basic knowledge of internationalization at home have a non-significant but positive effect. (3) however, students’ global awareness and teachers' global competence have a non-significant negative impact on students’ behavior. Based on these results, the university still needs to find ways to convert students' enthusiasm into actual participation, and a higher level of internationalized faculty is highlighted.