Alternative Paths to a PhD? Factors Influencing Chinese Degree-seekers to Choose Southeast Asian Developing Countries as Learning Destination

Current literature has extensively examined factors influencing international students from developing regions to pursue doctoral education in developed regions. Researching factors influencing Chinese doctoral students (CDS) to study abroad is significant, given the status of this group as one of the key cohorts in international student mobility. However, few studies have explored the factors influencing CDS to study in non-traditional destinations like Southeast Asian developing countries. Drawing on a revised push-pull model, this qualitative study interviewed 26 CDS to investigate key factors influencing them to pursue doctoral education in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Findings reveal that CDS are systematically pushed by national, institutional, and individual factors within the Chinese higher education context and are pulled to study in Southeast Asian developing countries based on their comparative advantages. This study suggests a dynamic approach to understanding the push-pull factors in international doctoral education set against local, regional, and global higher education systems.