Presentation

In international education for instance, Gu and Schweisfurth (2006: 75) argue that “The phrase ‘the Chinese learner’ invites us to see this group as homogeneous, and their needs and responses as determined by their cultural background. However other aspects of the process: the backgrounds and goals of the learners, their specific motivation for learning, the setting for the interaction and the nature of the relationship between teachers and learners, are also influential”.

In a similar vein applied linguist Kumaravadivelu (2008: 54) makes an important point about ‘Asian’ students that seems to apply to Chinese students too: “the language teaching profession has shown a remarkable readiness to forge a causal connection between the classroom behavior of Asian students and their cultural beliefs even though research findings are ambiguous and even contradictory”. Another interesting aspect of e.g. Chinese students’ mobility reported in research, is the impression that they cling to their own group without being ‘assimilated’.

Very few studies or research projects have looked into Chinese teachers and scholars working abroad.

This interdisciplinary conference will review certain myths and realities related to Chinese mobility and migration in international higher education, with an emphasis on institutional, staff and students perspectives. Researchers in the fields of (amongst others) education and pedagogy, sociology, linguistics, (social) psychology, cultural studies but also economics and management are invited to submit a proposal. We would like to stimulate discussions on the following issues (amongst others):

1. Demographics of Chinese students, teachers and scholars abroad: who are they (social class, gender, linguistic and cultural background…)? Where do they study/work and what do they do? For students: What happens at the end of their studies abroad? Do they (really) differ from local and other international students?
2. How do we talk about Chinese students and scholars abroad? In the media? In research? In institutions of higher education? Have discourses on Chinese students and scholars changed over the last decades? How do they themselves talk about their experiences abroad?
3. Chinese nationals and intercultural communication in education and daily life. Critical approaches to adaptation will be preferred (intercultural competences, identity),
4. Working with Chinese colleagues, teaching/supervising Chinese students abroad: is it really different from local or other international colleagues/students? If yes, how?
5. Language practices: what languages do they learn and use? With whom?
6. Short-term/long-term effects of mobility/migration on the scholars, teachers and students, but also China and the locality.

Proposal Submission

We invite submission of proposals by 15th February 2013.

Abstracts should be submitted through Easyabstracts: http://tinyurl.com/chineseabroad

Paper and colloquia proposals are invited.

• Individual paper proposals (100-150 words; duration: 30 minutes including a twenty-minute presentation, with an additional ten minutes for discussion).
• Colloquia proposals (200 words for the colloquium concept and 100-150 words on each paper, duration: 3 hours, max. 5 participants – conveners and discussant included)

Abstracts will be reviewed by the scientific committee for originality, significance, clarity and academic rigour.

Decisions about the submitted proposals: 1st March 2013

Questions should be sent to the conference secretary Gao Minghui: chinesestabroad@gmail.com

Scientific Committee

• Tiina Airaksinen, University of Helsinki, Finland
• Julie Byrd Clark, Western University, Canada and University of Helsinki, Finland
• Vincenzo Cicchelli, University Paris Descartes, France
• Fachun Du, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Ethnology & Anthropology, China
• Shibao Guo, University of Calgary, Canada
• Pirjo Harjanne, University of Helsinki, Finland
• Prue Holmes, University of Durham, England, UK
• Stephanie Houghton, Saga University, Japan
• Adelheid Hu, University of Luxembourg
• Mei-Lan Huang, Chang-Gung University of Science and Technology, China
• Binlan Huang, Guangxi University, China
• Juha A. Janhunen, University of Helsinki, Finland
• Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, University of Helsinki, Finland (E4D)
• Heini-Marja Järvinen, University of Helsinki, Finland
• Arto Kallioniemi, University of Helsinki, Finland (E4D)
• Maria Kela, University of Helsinki, Finland (E4D)
• Kirsti Lonka, University of Helsinki, Finland (E4D)
• Regis Machart, Universiti Putra Malaisia, Malaysia
• Martina Paatela-Nieminen, University of Helsinki, Finland (E4D)
• Heini Paavola, University of Helsinki, Finland (E4D)
• Gerard A. Postiglione, University of Hong Kong
• Lies Sercu, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Belgium
• Mirja Talib, University of Helsinki, Finland (E4D)
• Tsai Yau, Fooyin University Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• Anthony Welch, University of Sydney, Australia
• Dong Wang, University of Turku, Finland