Visiting Scholars: Facilitators of Sustainable International Strategic Alliances in Higher Education

Linyuan Guo; William X. Wei

Linyuan Guo

University of Prince Edward Island, Canada

William X. Wei

Grant MacEwan University, Canada

Volume 7: 2012, pp. 181-198; ABSTRACT

Faculty’s international mobility through formal institutional partnerships has been widely recognized as a critical indicator and strategy towards internationalization in higher education worldwide. However, the roles they play in building sustainable international strategic alliances between partner institutions are under examined. This article presents an ethnographic study of examining a group of Chinese visiting scholars' experiences in a Canadian University and discusses the unique roles they play in sustaining the international partnerships between their home institution in China and the host Canadian institution. Findings from this study provide critical insights into the multiple factors affecting visiting scholars' contributions to sustainable international partnerships and offer recommendations on empowering visiting scholars as facilitators of building sustainable international strategic alliances in higher education.

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