Recalibrating internationalisation amid geopolitical shifts: institutional responses of two Chinese Double First-Class universities

Geopolitical shifts are profoundly reshaping global higher education. As some Western countries turn inward, China maintains openness as a long-term national priority, rendering its higher education system a critical site for observing institutional responses amid geopolitical tensions. In this context, a comparative case study of two Chinese Double First-class universities, one science and engineering-oriented and the other comprehensive, was conducted to examine how Chinese universities strategically recalibrate internationalisation amid intensifying geopolitical pressures. Guided by the SAIOS framework, the findings reveal that Chinese universities selectively recalibrate internationalisation by redistributing activities across regions, thematic domains, and partnership formats. The study refines the application of the SAIOS framework by highlighting how asymmetrical multi-scalar relations, where the national scale assumes a particularly influential mediating role, shape institutional responses in strong-state contexts, pointing to the need for greater theoretical sensitivity to political and governance differences when analysing higher education geopolitics.