Will International Education in the U.S. Enter the Post-China Era?

Abstract

This chapter has addressed the question of whether the current decline in the influx of Chinese students to America is going to continue, and thereby fundamentally change the predominance of Chinese students in the American international student body. I draw from the theories of educational desire in China and the creation and development of an international education infrastructure to argue that there is an enduring structural need among Chinese families to continue to send their students abroad for a western higher education. I also consider the context of reception in a host society to show that American society has started to shift from policy and practices that are toxic to Chinese students to the old norm of welcoming them and possibly providing them with a pathway for immigration. Based on the above rationales, the post-China era for American international education is not yet here.