Abstract
With internationalization of higher education becoming a global trend, China is the country with the largest number of international students enrolled worldwide. This study explores Chinese students’ views on and experiences in Dutch higher education: why they choose and how they perceive the education in the Netherlands, what differences they encounter in culture and classroom pedagogy, how these differences influence their learning experiences and how these experiences impact upon their identity negotiation. Thirty-seven in-depth interviews were conducted with thirty Chinese students and seven (another four responded to some questions through email) lecturers, international student advisors and admission officers from eight Dutch higher education institutions. The findings identified the influential aspects on their decisions including discouraging factors in Chinese education, the perceived benefits of a Dutch education as well as attractive policies in the Netherlands. In terms of cultural encounters, they tried to adapt to some differences, which they considered as necessary changes, while others remained challenging such as party culture and communication gap with Western peers due to different cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, although they found the Dutch lecturing style similar to that in China, they were confronted with various difficulties and challenges in classroom pedagogy such as classroom participation, group work and presentation, examination and assessment, cultivation of critical thinking and creativity, and different roles of teachers. Finally, they regarded their experiences overseas as generally positive, despite that some were subjected to prejudice and discrimination. In the process of negotiation in the multi-cultural environment, they witnessed themselves evolving into independent, self-confident and responsible adults with stronger and more open minds. At the same time, most of them exhibited a strong attachment to their Chinese identity. The results of this study contribute to discussions concerning culture adaptation, identity negotiation, and pedagogical experiences within the domain of internationalization of higher education, while hoping to provide insights and implications on how Western higher education institutions can better cater to the needs of international students.