Chinese Learning Journeys : Chasing the Dream

Eight students from mainland China chart their learning journeys across national and continental boundaries and socio-cultural contexts. Each presents a reflective autobiographical account of their experiences of studying in both China and the West. Their reflections are structured around the turning points and life-changing choices they have made in chasing their dreams. Their dreams of the future will affect not only their own fates but also the future of Chinese civil society. These students embody its emergent intellectual and professional cadre. It is this generation #xE2;#xAC;#x1C; informed by international travel and overseas study #xE2;#xAC;#x1C; that will play a leading role in the creation of the new China. Chinese Learning Journeysoffers a scholarly resource for the academic research community working in the field of international student experience. It provides higher education practitioners with important insights into the cultural backgrounds and aspirations of overseas students. Those responsible for overseas student recruitment and welfare will find it invaluable, as will those working in the areas of language support and academic writing and other students who are chasing the dream. Chapters include the reflective accounts of: an undergraduate student in Liverpool; a postgraduate student in London; a doctoral student in Manchester; a post-doctoral researcher in Hong Kong; a Shanghai solicitor in London; a teacher of foreign language in Hong Kong; a Chinese academic in a Welsh university; and the author himself.