Pathways and Indicators for Advancing Internationalization in STEM Universities in Underdeveloped Regions of Western China

Against the backdrop of accelerating internationalization in global higher education, STEM universities in China's underdeveloped western regions face multifaceted constraints in their international development, including resource limitations, geographical disadvantages, and disciplinary structural challenges. Grounded in the composite ecosystem theory and Altbach's (2016) center-periphery model, this study constructs an internationalization evaluation index system encompassing four dimensions: human resources, academic output, institutional support, and cultural integration. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted empirical analyses of 12 STEM universities in western China through questionnaire surveys (N=428) and in-depth interviews (n=36). Findings reveal that the sample institutions' average internationalization composite index reaches merely 47.3% of their eastern counterparts, with critical deficiencies including international research collaboration rates (<15%), English-taught course coverage (8.2±3.6%), and proportion of international faculty (2.1±0.7%). The study further identifies two core constraints: digital application levels (e.g., 28.6% adoption rate of international MOOC platforms vs. 61.3% in eastern institutions) and disciplinary homogeneity (73.5% of international collaborations concentrated in materials science). Through data analysis and case studies (e.g., University B's virtual teaching-research unit achieving 210% growth in international collaborations), we propose a quadripartite synergy model involving government, industry, academia, and research sectors. The model demonstrates digital international platforms' significant positive effect on research output (2.1-fold increase in internationally co-authored papers, p<0.01). This research provides both theoretical frameworks and practical strategies to overcome internationalization bottlenecks for Western Chinese STEM universities, offering policy-relevant insights for promoting balanced regional development in higher education.