Mobilità nell’istruzione superiore: uno sguardo al flusso degli studenti cinesi in Italia

Abstract

Student exchange with China in tertiary education is today under careful scrutiny by partner countries. The drivers for the advancement of academic exchanges have profoundly transformed in the last decade. Tensions between Beijing and Western countries, echoed in the renewed attention of the European Union to the risks of interdependence in the scientific field, are affecting universities and research centers alike, altering their incentive structure. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic has virtualized mobility programs, thereby drastically shrinking inbound and outbound student flows with China. By looking at various positions and interests, the authors assess the decoupling factors between China and the West in tertiary education as well as the reasons to maintain a degree of integration and interdependence. The article also examines the case study of the mobility programs at the University of Turin, to substantiate how the mutated global scenario affects one of the leading examples of Sino-Italian academic exchange.