Agents of new knowledge, new concepts

The data showed that non-returnees and administrators saw returnees as people who held new knowledge, new concepts and new methods, including teaching pedagogies and research methods acquired in their years of study in Western countries. Returnees were said to stand at the frontline of the development of science and technology in the world. They knew what was happening in Western countries. They had access to the newest research results and more advanced research methods. It seems that new knowledge and new concepts had become important characteristics of these returnees. A5, a university administrator, said:

Returnees do bring new things to the university; especially they bring new things to

the students, such as new knowledge … including knowledge in natural science and social science. [They brought with them] new conceptions of research methods, the

ways of doing research. Returnees bring all of these back.

Because you can see different things when you study in different environment. Definitely, [universities] hope returnees [will] bring back foreign countries’ advanced ideas and their own learning and study experiences to the research and teaching. This is the main reason that the university welcomes returnees to come here to work. She insisted that Chinese universities could learn from Western countries through the returnees, who knew how to do research in a specific field because of their overseas experiences and could distinguish between useful and inferior methods. She argued that as most returnees had a background of overseas postgraduate study or PhD study, they could identify inadequacies in higher education in China and introduce new concepts. Their new perceptions on writing articles and doing research could contribute to the

development of China’s academic world. A1 said he believed that returnees had “been to the source of knowledge” and they returned with ideas that could be applied directly in Chinese universities.

It seems that universities wanted to take advantage of the foreign-educated returnees’ new ideas and perspectives, to facilitate the development of the universities. A7, the vice dean of a school at one of the universities, said:

In terms of the quality of research and teaching, it is a very big improvement. Absorbing new ideas from outside can input new things to the university. I think these are the basic reasons for recruiting returnees.

A2 had a different angle on this issue. He claimed that many Chinese people believed that things from foreign countries were better than those in China and overseas graduates would bring in new ideas that domestically trained personnel did not have. A6, A8 and A9, who were from the same university, said their organisation wanted to use returnees to take a leading role in some subjects, or to fill shortages in some disciplines. A8 said: When it comes to the development of universities, in fact you need a broader vision,

a higher and more comprehensive vision … you can absorb some better human

resources to improve your own development.

Thus, returnees’ overseas experiences were an advantage that distinguished them from non-returnee colleagues because they were able to view issues from a different

perspective and approach them with new concepts. A5, herself a foreign-educated returnee PhD from Australia, said, “People’s experiences are very important for them. It is these experiences that make them different from those who do not have these experiences, and make them view things differently”. She believed that returnees’ overseas experiences have changed returnees, their ideas, their ways of thinking, and ways of doing things. She thought it would be a pity to not have such experiences in a foreign culture, especially for a person who majored in English language and foreign literature.

This attitude towards returnees was also evident in non-returnee colleagues. They

believed that returnees’ overseas experiences had made them different from non-returnee colleagues. This characteristic of returnees had become one of their assets. NR9 said:

Returnee teachers’ advantages are related to their overseas experiences. If they really have learned something in foreign countries, and if they have immersed in that culture deeply, they actually have many advantages. They become open-minded and understand the home country’s culture much better.

NR4 expressed a similar view, saying, “I think it is a good thing to have overseas experiences. They [returnees) can expand their visions, and they can bring us new things, advanced things [from foreign countries) to our universities”. He believed that when returnees returned to China, they could make very positive contributions to the country. Figure 4-1 illustrates the views of non-returnee colleagues regarding foreign-educated

Figure 4-1 Non-returnees’ views on returnees’ overseas experiences

The data shows that of the 11 non-returnee colleagues interviewed, 46% of them agreed

that they valued their returnees’ overseas experiences, and 27% of them strongly agreed with this statement, which means that all together, 73% (N=8) agreed that they valued

returnees’ overseas experiences. This positive attitude towards returnees’ overseas

experiences was consistent with the data from the interviews. It showed that returnee

colleagues’ overseas experiences were valued by non-returnees and some non-returnees even expressed their desire to go overseas to have such experiences, whether as visiting scholars or as students.

Another important characteristic of returnees is their new perspectives compared to non- returnee colleagues. Having new perspectives was one of the main factors that identified them as being different and enabled them to view Chinese higher education from a very different perspective. All of the non-returnee colleagues and administrators appreciated

returnees’ new global outlook. When A3 was asked about any new ideas, perspectives

and ideology that returnees had brought to his university, he said:

Returnees bring international perspectives. They bring new education pedagogies, new methods, and new research results (to China). They also bring democratic ideas

about education. … Anyway, they bring new ideas about education; advanced new

perspectives, such as research and professorial management….. Whether in education philosophy, research philosophy, teaching philosophy, management philosophy, and logistics concepts, all these are completely new things.

0% 0%

27%

46% 27%

I value my foreign-educated colleagues' overseas experiences (N=11) Strongly disagree Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly agree