Graduate Attributes and Influential Factors in Higher Education: Perceptions of International Undergraduates in China

Internationalization in higher education has positioned Chinese universities as attractive destinations for international students seeking globally recognized credentials. While the importance of graduate attributes for employability is widely acknowledged, existing research has primarily focused on Western contexts, which leaves gaps in understanding how these attributes are developed among international undergraduates in Chinese universities. This study adopted a qualitative exploratory approach to address these gaps. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 international undergraduate students, who were recruited from a mixed sampling method that combined voluntary sampling and purposive sampling and were from diverse academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds. Thematic analysis was employed to explore students’ perceptions of key graduate attributes and the factors influencing their development of graduate attributes in Chinese universities. Findings highlighted human capital, including academic qualifications, technical expertise, and transferable hard skills as the cornerstone of employability. Social capital, such as peer networks and faculty mentorship, and cultural capital, including familiarity with Chinese workplace norms, were also deemed critical. Agentic capital, characterized by self-initiative and strategic planning, further underscored the importance of proactive career management. Factors influencing these attributes included well-structured curricula, interactive teaching methods, university career services, and extracurricular activities. The study underscored the need for higher education institutions to adopt holistic approaches to curriculum design, enhance industry collaboration, and provide tailored support services for international students. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and higher education providers aiming to better prepare international graduates for the global job market.