Call for Expression of Interest for a Research Project on English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) in China

British Council China is looking for a potential UK Partner for a research project on current university policy guidelines for English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education institutions in China. With mutual agreement, there is room to extend this scope to investigate the available resources universities have and need to implement EMI effectively.

We are working towards a tight timeline. In our award criteria, we put more emphasis on the approaches to the research project and value for money.

Background of the project:

The global spread of English has seen an increase in importance placed not only on English language education throughout the world, but also on education through English. Recent years have witnessed the internationalisation of universities worldwide, and this has become a priority of higher education institutions (HEIs). HEIs in ‘non-native’ English speaking countries make efforts to internationalise and strengthen their global competiveness, and there has been an increased focus on establishing – and extending – English Medium Instruction (EMI) courses and programmes for non-language subjects. EMI, the use of English to teach subjects in countries where English is not the official language, has become a growing global trend (Galloway, Kriukow and Numajiri, 2017).

At the same time, the number of overseas students studying in China has increased to around 489,200. In 2015 the State Council announced the “Overall Plan of Coordinated Development of World-Class Universities and Disciplines”. In 2016, the Ministry of Education released “Promoting the joint construction of One Belt and Road Education Action plan”.  Continuing improvements to China’s universities and government policies supporting inbound international students mean that the country is attracting more and more international students. A large number of these students are studying on English-medium programmes, which are offered by a large proportion of the country’s universities. Around half of students were studying for a Chinese HE qualification, and these students grew at a significantly faster rate compared to non-degree students (including students on exchange years and short courses as well as non-HE students). The fastest growth was seen in students studying for a postgraduate degree (Masters or PhD), who now number around 75,800.

Internationalisation of teaching and research are critical objectives for most tertiary institutions in China. These objectives also include raising quality standards and becoming more globally relevant, attracting the best students and staff, developing international talents, pushing the frontiers of knowledge through research and promoting internal diversity. English is a key enabler of this strategy.

HEIs are committed to improving quality assurance of teaching and systems for delivery in English, improving staff skills and language for internationalisation, increasing resources to facilitate international collaboration, and improving more effective professional development systems to support international goals. However, best practices in supporting these goals and challenges can be further enhanced from their present levels. 

The U.K. is one of the largest providers of transnational education (TNE) in China with over 230 programmes currently taking place. The success and sustainability of these programmes rely on ensuring students receive sufficient support in developing a good command of the English language.

Who is involved in the project:

• Ministry of Education
• University or faculty leadership - key lecturers (not English)
• Department of Teaching Affairs in university
• Department of Teacher development in university
• Language department leadership
• Language department staff/teachers
• Undergraduate / Post Graduate students
• Potential UK HE / ELT sector partners

Benefits for UK partner:

• Opportunity for UK Higher Education Institutions to develop links with China Higher Education Institutions
• Opportunity for UK Higher Education Institutions to develop relationship with Chinese ministries
• Opportunity for brand exposure of UK Higher Education Institutions among Chinese stakeholders

The UK partner would be expected to provide these following items:

The study aims to investigate the current state of university EMI policy and resources in China. It will provide a comprehensive analysis of a number of universities’ current policies and resources in order to identify strengths and weaknesses and current impact. Recommendations will be made with the aim of improving policy guidelines and ability to implement EMI effectively within the China context.

Rationale EMI research:

• Research the current state of EMI policy in China and universities’ capacity for effective implementation within the context of China’s Belt and Road initiative and wider internationalisation goals and priorities
• Disseminate research results at a British Council hosted EMI conference in October

Possible research questions:

• What are the government/university policies and objectives for EMI in HEIs in China and how are these supported through local policies and implementation strategies?
• To what extent does current university EMI guidance represent good practice?
• How well equipped are Chinese universities to deliver effective EMI courses?
• Is there a standardised and unified vision of EMI being articulated by different universities in China?
• Is there a gap between the policy articulated by universities and what EMI teachers actually deliver during courses?
• What are the approaches and forms of EMI currently being implemented in HEIs in China? How could they be improved?
• How and by whom is quality of EMI pedagogy being defined, evaluated and safeguarded in China?

British Council China's role in this collaboration:

The work of this assignment will be guided by British Council China team with support from the East Asia regional team and UK team. The British Council China team is responsible for managing the research, which includes but is not limited to:

• direct contact point for research manager of the provider
• approving final work plan and deliverables.
• support in identifying Chinese partnering universities
• assessing the completion of services and deliverables against the approved work plan, supported by targets and indicators prior to paying invoices submitted by the research provider
• providing technical quality assurance on performance and all deliverables
• disseminating deliverables to relevant stakeholders