Not quite like a honeymoon - Charting the first 24 months of Sino-foreign educational programmes

Oct 15, 2026

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A study examines Sino-foreign university collaboration during its first two years, focusing on how Chinese and foreign university managers move from initiation stress to sustained alliance activity. Sixteen sequential steps are identified, even though they may occasionally occur out of order, with later stages enabling viable long-term understanding. A roadmap is offered for managers entering the China alliance market, addressing issues, problems, and tensions in the crucial start-up period.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature review

Method

A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W Not quite like a honeymoon Charting the first 24 months of Sino-foreign educational programmes Mike Willis & Rowan Kennedy University of Ballarat & Monash University There is now a large range of studies that have considered various aspects and issues of Sino-foreign university collaboration –which remains a vexed and contentious issue. The aim of the present study is to identify the specific steps a group of Sino-foreign educational alliances took over their first two years – as viewed by Chinese and foreign university managers – as they struggled to develop a mature basis for ongoing alliance activity. The paper notes that the initial formative years were ones of stress and strain. A total of sixteen (16), sequential steps have been identified in this study, which also notes that, at times, these steps could be taken out of sequence. It was only by the latter steps that the two sides had really formed the basis for longer-term activity. (In short it took about two years to achieve some sense of viable and realistic understanding of the realities of setting up and managing an educational joint venture in China) . The paper provides a basic “roadmap”for university managers wishing to enter the China alliance market – and, at the same time, also makes some comments about some of the issues, problems and tensions which may arise within this crucial formative period. Introduction ‘Foreigners always worry about the big banquet and the money. Who worries about how to make it all work…?’(Chinese education manager) One of the largest areas of Sino-foreign collaboration remains the area of education where over 10,000 alliances have been formed between Chinese and foreign universities since 1978. Research has tended to focus on issues of culture, organisation, management and even the funding of alliances – and the focus has tended to be on alliance behaviour over a three to five year period.What has not been researched in as much detail is how alliance partner managers (Chinese and 48 Not quite like a honeymoon, Mike Willis & Rowan Kennedy foreign) behave over a shorter period of time, particularly during the crucial start up phase of an alliance. This study identifies a series of 16 stages alliances went through and it was not an easy process. Literature review The topic of higher education alliances between Chinese and foreign universities has been studied in detail by a variety of authors since the late 1970s, when the pace and rate of alliance began to speed up. Hayhoe’s studies (1989, 1996) remain perhaps the best known. She considered alliances from the perspective of comparative education and evaluated some of the issues, vol. 51, no. 1, 2009 A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W challenges and benefits of alliances for the two sides. She did not look at any given period of time, however, focussing instead on the alliances as a whole. At that time, the focus was still rather generic and focussed on frameworks and key, overriding issues and associated factors. Alliances were divided into four categories by Willis (2001), who also considered other aspects of their structure, role, focus and rationale (2001 a,b,c; 2002 a,b,c ) . Again, however, this research took a ‘whole of alliance view’. A different perspective was undertaken by Street (1992),Johnston (1996), Ross (1993), and Ross and Liu (1998), who considered some of the complexities of delivering courses and programmes in China (often emphasising issues of culture and the tensions faced by a foreigner in China), while Pepper (1996), considered university change and restructure in China, both noting, in passing, that this restructure provided a degree of impetus for international collaboration. Again, the focus was on the larger picture rather than issues of detail. A number of Chinese authors (Deng, 1994; Jiang, 1995; Jing, 1995; Fang, 1996; Kok, 1996; Cui, 1997;

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

To identify the specific steps Sino-foreign educational alliances took over their first two years, as viewed by Chinese and foreign university managers.

How many stages does the paper identify for alliance start-up?

The study identifies a total of sixteen sequential steps, and notes that these steps could sometimes be taken out of sequence.

What research method and locations were used?

The study used depth interviews and investigated university joint ventures in Nanjing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Beijing, Guangzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai.

Oct 15, 2026

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