International Student Mobility(ISM) in China in the New Phase of Internationalization of Higher Education(IHE): Trends and Patterns

The main purpose of this paper was to trace trends and patterns of international student mobility in the new phase of internationalization of higher education in China, specifically from 1990 to 2015. Two basic questions framed the study: what is the trends and patterns of international student mobility in China from 1990s to 2015? What reform measures were used in the steering the development of international student mobility in China from 1990s to 2015? Exploratory study method was used in which both primary and secondary data were collected, organized and thematically interpreted. Primary sources of data were government legislations, higher education laws and other related documents while secondary data sources were, books, reports, Chinese government scholarship and Ministry of education websites. Major findings are trend of international student mobility in China is growing steadily fast from few thousands in 1990s to hundreds of thousands in 2015, from more than 200 countries of the world. The trend is analyzed in three thematic time-frame and interpreted as: from 1991-2000, the decade of policy blueprint/roadmap; from 2001-1010, the decade of recognition and understanding; from 2011-2015, the year of new role and influx. Keywords: International Students Mobility, inbound, trends/patterns, influx, IHE, New phase of IHE