Variegated Student Mobilities between China and Southeast Asia: Belt-Road Initiative, Region-Making, and Alternative Knowledges and Cultural Capitals

Since its announcement in 2013, Belt-Road Initiative promoted by China's top leadership is shifting the tide of international student mobilities regionally, and globally. China has emerged as a growing destination for international students from the Global South. And Southeast Asia becomes new attraction for China's educationally mobile students. These new developments invite questions about alternative knowledges and cultural capitals beyond the body of (universal, western-centric and English-mediated) knowledge in Western universities. When students from BRI partner countries go to China, what do they expect to learn from China's curricula, culture and society? Likewise, how do Chinese students intend to experience and achieve during/post their education in Southeast Asian societies? Based on survey and interview data from a multinational research project, we conduct a case study of three destinations in Asia (China, Singapore and Thailand). We analyze students' academic specializations, motivations, selection rationales, experiences and career plans, highlighting variegated mobilities and future orientations. Singapore continues to attract Chinese students with its high-quality, English-medium education catering to STEM subjects, demonstrating the persistent dominance of English and related knowledge system in a globalized world. China, with rich cultural heritage, rising economic power and generous BRI support, becomes a magnet for students from its neighbors, making Chinese increasingly a regional lingua franca. The case of Chinese students in Thailand with an intention to acquire cultural and linguistic knowledge for future careers in BRI-related industries underscores the significance of bilateral ties and localized expertise. By focusing on alternative knowledges and cultural capitals, this research contributes new empirical evidence and fresh theoretical perspectives into the relationship between international student mobilities, knowledge systems and region-making. The findings suggest that the BRI is facilitating region-making by promoting diverse flows and talent development across Asia, marking a shift toward a more interconnected and pluralistic era of higher education mobility.