The Educational Trajectories of Students at Sino-Foreign Cooperative Universities in the Greater Bay Area

Dr Keyu ZHAI, The School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University

Abstract

Sino-Foreign Cooperative Universities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area represent a distinctive form of higher education internationalisation, yet little research has examined student developmental trajectories within these hybrid environments. This study proposes and tests a Motivation-Adaptation-Employability (MAE) framework using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Survey data from 351 students across three SFCUs and interviews with 31 students were analysed using structural equation modelling, latent profile analysis, and reflexive thematic analysis.

SEM results confirmed that motivation strongly predicts adaptation (β = 0.594), which in turn predicts employability (β = 0.228), with adaptation serving as a significant partial mediator. LPA identified three student profiles: comprehensively developed (17%), steady-development (60%), and constrained-development (23%). Qualitative findings revealed that constrained students experienced expectation-reality mismatches and adaptation difficulties, while comprehensively developed students actively mobilised institutional resources. The findings demonstrate that SFCUs do not automatically confer employability advantages; instead, outcomes depend on the interaction between motivation, adaptation, and institutional context.

Bio

Dr. Zhai Keyu is an Assistant Professor at the School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, where he also serves as Associate Programme Director of MA in International Higher Education and Management. He holds a PhD in Education from the University of Glasgow, a Master's degree from University College London. His research focuses on international higher education, student development and transitions, and sustainable development. Dr. Zhai has published extensively on topics including graduate mobility, employability, and transnational education. His current work examines student trajectories within Sino-Foreign Cooperative Universities in China's Greater Bay Area.

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