Evolving international academic exchanges: The shifting cross-strait university practices between Taiwan and China

Abstract

International academic exchanges have long portrayed a pivotal role in higher education internationalization. Within the Taiwan model, a distinct feature of international academic exchanges is the cross-strait (Taiwan and Mainland China) university practices. To highlight the recent changes within cross-strait university practices, this paper shall focus on the analysis of various scholarly relations between Taiwanese scholars and their Mainland Chinese counterparts. Several interviews with 14 scholars were accomplished highlighting the various patterns of interactions under the different dimensions of collaborations between Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese academics. In addition, challenges within the various cross-strait university practices were also provided. In essence, as China’s economy develops, its higher education quality improves and so as with their students and academics. In contrast, the shrinkage of academic funding in Taiwan is followed by a sense of anxiety within the academe.