Building minds and influence: China’s Belt and Road scholarships and educational soft power in Sri Lanka

This article examines the potential and limitations of educational soft power in China's Belt and Road scholarship initiatives in Sri Lanka. Drawing on interviews with fifteen Sri Lankan students who studied in China on Chinese government scholarships, we investigate how recipients experienced these scholarship initiatives and how these experiences shaped their perceptions of China. The findings show that these scholarship programmes combine educational opportunities with cultural and historical education, Mandarin language training, and opportunities to develop long-term academic and interpersonal networks. While participants generally expressed appreciation for their educational experiences in China, some expressed ambivalent perceptions, suggesting that positive educational experiences do not necessarily translate into broader geopolitical support. The study highlights how China's scholarship initiatives contribute to changing patterns of international student mobility while revealing the contingent nature of educational soft-power outcomes.