Immobile transnationalisms? Young people and their in situ Experiences of “international’ education in Hong Kong

Abstract

In Hong Kong, the number of international degree programmes available locally to students has proliferated in recent years, and British universities are the largest provider of so-called ‘transnational education’ in the territory. This paper draws on the findings of a qualitative project examining British degree programmes offered in Hong Kong, and their implications for local young people. In particular, it explores the fact that the vast majority of these ‘international’ qualifications involve no travel whatsoever, and are taught and awarded entirely in Hong Kong. Interviews with students/ graduates, with direct experience of a British degree, elucidate the relationship between (im)mobility and the accumulation of cultural capital through international education. It is suggested that immobility does have an impact upon young people’s experiences of higher education. The findings contribute to discussions around the relationship between education, mobility and class, and the implications of a consolidating international education industry for class reproduction and social inequalities.