International Medical Students' Financial Security in China: Lessons from an Individual Case Study

Year 2022, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 29 - 44, 30.06.2022

Qınxu Jıang

https://doi.org/10.55993/hegp.1073046

Abstract

Financial security affects international students’ success and wellbeing and is a cause for great concern. However, it is still understudied in the literature. This is an especially important issue in countries where most international students are self-financed and/or originate from developing countries. This is the case in China, which hosts a large number of international students, and where such research is still lacking. Adopting a phenomenological approach, this exploratory study was a case study of a high-achieving international medical student in China who experienced (and overcame) financial difficulties. Findings of the study have important implications for policy and practice, and call for an expansion of the Chinese government’s policy concerning the financial needs of poor domestic students, supporting them with financial resources and extending these resources to students from developing countries studying in the Chinese higher education system. The implications also include the need for Chinese universities to assume greater responsibility and provide more support for the learning and wellbeing of international students.

Keywords

International education, international medical students, financial security, student success, educational policy, mainland China

Thanks

This paper based on the doctoral research of the author under supervision of Dr. Hugo Horta at the Faculty of Education, the University of Hong Kong. The author is grateful to Dr. Horta for his guidance and to anonymous reviewers for their comments. The author is also grateful to Shimin Soon for the proofreading and directional inputs for this article.

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