Menu
Multicultural Insights is proud to announce an ambitious research project aimed at contributing to the global debate about how countries can best attract and retain talent.
The project seeks to build a model of academic migration that considers the complex interplay of cultural, economic, and political factors shaping graduate students’ career and life trajectories.
In order to refine survey instruments that will be used in the quantitative part of the study, Multicultural Insights conducted focus groups with Chinese graduate students, providing candid insight into their thought processes, career aspirations, and life plans.
Focus groups brought together recent graduates and current students of Ph.D. and Master-level programs in various disciplines, including computer science, education, mathematics, and economics.
The cultural affinities of the U.S. were important in drawing these students to the U.S. in the first place. One of the participants, a self-professed “film buff,” felt a cultural closeness to American cinema. Another participant confessed to being fascinated with another aspect of American culture: “I also was a huge fan of basketball, and I had this dream of watching games and buying season tickets…so I kind of fulfilled my dreams.”
However, the most popular reason to come to the U.S. to study was the perceived dominance of the American academia and education systems. For many participants, this opinion was shared by their family members, who helped them decide to study abroad. As one of the participants detailed the following family experience: “My mom was denied a visa when she wanted to come to the U.S. to study… she really lost sleep over it… So, she tried really hard to send me to the U.S. to study.”
The discussion turned reflective when comparing educational systems. One participant offered a critical view of the U.S. system, “it is very unfair; it is geared towards rich people,” while praising China’s “very cheap and very fair” approach allowing access to people from all economic strata. Another participant complemented American education for the “academic independence” of U.S. institutions yet agreed about the systemic inequality rooted in wealth. Yet another participant praised the self-directed character of American education (compared to a more structured approach of Chinese universities) while admitting that sometimes this self-direction is “too much,” leading to lackluster performance.
Despite these nuances, most participants expressed a strong desire to stay in the U.S., which was often explained by the critical position that American researchers occupy in the scientific world. One of the participants remarked: “For me, it is… about the academic environment. Most cutting-edge research comes from the United States. The most famous universities and professors are here.”
Other participants expressed a spectrum of geographical preferences — for some, the hunt spans the U.S., Canada, and Europe, with Hong Kong and Singapore briefly in consideration.
A few participants had a clear plan for finding a job in China, which was explained by the desire to be closer to the family. Another participant had a strong preference for independence: “I would like to stay away from everyone… I just want to live alone with my dog, I don’t want to live with my family,” prompting the decision to stay in the U.S. “no matter what the title of the job.”
Several participants agreed that, although they could continue their academic career in China, it may be associated with a number of challenges. Participants indicated the importance of established connections in academia and emphasize the differences in relative importance attached to specific academic disciplines (e.g., certain types of research in education and pedagogy are more difficult due to differences in established teaching philosophies).
While political liberty was mentioned as one of the advantages of staying in the US, some participants focused on similarities between the US and China, especially in the industry, allowing for a comparable career path.
The collaborative academia-centric character of the focus group was encapsulated in the words of one of the participants: “The reason I want to stay in the U.S… is that in an academic career, we need to have good relations in the community… I hope that we can do some research together.” The priority of academic connections and logic of scientific collaboration dominated the discussion.
While most participants were focused on academic careers, some were interested in working in the industry. Some participants, eyeing the private sector, were looking for jobs in tech companies, NGOs, and IGOs, signaling a blend of research expertise and industry pragmatism.
Focus groups participants expressed significant concern regarding the visa issuance practice of the U.S. immigration authorities, which often creates barriers that can derail an academic career. A participant explained that “…To renew the visa, [students] will likely go through the administrative processing again, and that can take from one month to up to who knows how long.” Another participant expanded on this topic: “I even see this as a penalty from the U.S. government. If you come to the U.S. to do PhD, don’t ever go back to China… whether this is the intention of the government or not, it is clearly working.”
Focus group discussions painted a complex picture of Chinese graduate students navigating their academic and professional futures. Multicultural Insights will continue the publication of learnings from the focus groups and other updates regarding the study’s course.