Reconsidering Internationalisation: Navigating the challenges of Chinese private higher education institutions

This study examines the internationalisation of Chinese private higher education institutions (CPHEIs). It addresses a notable gap in the literature which has primarily focused on public universities. Drawing from qualitative case studies of five CPHEIs in Shaanxi Province, this study examines the key rationales, challenges and strategies deployed by CPHEIs and identifies emerging opportunities within the Asian higher education landscape. The findings reveal that CPHEIs employ an inward-oriented internationalisation, not to pursue global prestige, but to reform internal governance, enhance students’ employability, and secure financial resilience. Those strategies include intra-regional collaboration within Asia, the pursuit of discipline-specific accreditations, and the integration of international resources into institutional development. This study provides insights into the internationalisation processes and practices of CPHEIs through the lens of an extended global agency heuristic theory, with potential broader relevance for similar private institutions in China and abroad.