International students in Chinese elite universities and employability capital: a qualitative study

The article explores how international students in China are engaging with employability-related programmes to enhance their employment outcomes in their home countries, underpinned by the Graduate Capital Model (GCM). Thirty international students in China participated in in-depth interviews. Findings revealed that international students studying at elite universities in China are very aware of building and enhancing their employability via key forms of capital: acquiring human capital (knowledge and skills) to contribute to their home countries, building social capital in China and elsewhere, and developing stronger career, cultural and identity capital through internships and other work-related programmes, as well as psychological adaptability and flexibility. Most importantly, they are proactive in interweaving strategies for this range of capital to enhance their employability and achieve successful employment outcomes. The findings contribute to the empirical understanding of the employability strategies employed by international students in China, while also providing recommendations on enhancing and facilitating employability of current and future international students there to match with the needs of global employment practices and policies.