Report

Interviewee: Managing Director, The Educationist Limited 

Date of Publication: July 29, 2025

Overview

The Managing Director of The Educationist Limited was interviewed by Times Higher Education (THE) in a feature article titled “Ice cream seller ‘shaming’ exposes China ‘graduate success flaws’”. The article examined the recent controversy in China surrounding a medical school graduate who chose to become an ice cream vendor, sparking public debate on graduate employment and the definition of educational success.

The piece included expert commentary from academics in mainland China and Hong Kong, alongside the Managing Director’s insights into systemic issues underpinning graduate employability, institutional reputation, and evolving student career choices.

Key Points from the Managing Director’s Contribution

Historical Precedent

The Managing Director drew parallels between the current case and a well-known controversy two decades ago involving the so-called “Peking University Butcher”, a graduate who initially faced criticism for pursuing a non-traditional career but later achieved financial success with the support of his alumni network.

Elite Universities and Career Expectations

He highlighted how elite Chinese universities have historically reinforced narrow definitions of graduate success, favouring prestigious career pathways to protect institutional reputations. Despite the emergence of new professions and opportunities, universities have not sufficiently invested in supporting diverse or non-traditional career trajectories.

Policy and Cultural Tensions

The Managing Director observed that while China’s policy emphasis on vocational education and employability may ease some pressures, there remains a deeper cultural and institutional tension. On one side is the entrenched institutional habitus that values prestige, and on the other, a younger generation increasingly prioritising personal freedom, passion-driven work, and alternative lifestyles.

Significance

The contribution underscores the Managing Director’s expertise in higher education policy, student mobility, and graduate employability. His perspective situates the incident within a broader socio-cultural and policy framework, offering international readers a nuanced understanding of how mass higher education expansion, labour market dynamics, and cultural expectations intersect in China.

This interview reinforces his standing as a recognised commentator on global higher education and highlights The Educationist Limited’s role in providing thought leadership on critical education and employment issues.

The Educationist Limited has been officially appointed as a recruitment agent for Washington University in St. Louis  School of Law, marking a significant milestone in the company’s expansion into global legal education services.

Through this new partnership, The Educationist Limited will promote and facilitate student enrollment into Washington University in St. Louis School of Law’s prestigious academic programs, including its internationally recognized LL.M., J.D., and online law degrees. The collaboration aims to provide aspiring legal professionals with access to world-class legal education and a pathway to advance their careers in the global legal market.

The Managing Director of The Educationist Limited, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership:

“We are honored to represent Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, a world-class institution known for academic excellence and innovation in legal education. This collaboration will open new opportunities for students in Asia and beyond to access top-tier legal training and a truly global alumni network.”

Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, based in St. Louis, Missouri, consistently ranks among the top U.S. law schools and is known for its rigorous curriculum, distinguished faculty, and extensive international outreach. The partnership with The Educationist Limited is part of the school’s commitment to attracting talented students from diverse backgrounds worldwide.

Students interested in applying through The Educationist Limited will benefit from personalized guidance, application support, and insights into the admissions process, ensuring they can make informed decisions about their academic and professional futures.

Times Higher Education (THE) recently inquired about the implications of reports suggesting that the Trump administration may intensify efforts to revoke visas for Chinese students studying in the United States. This development follows earlier measures under Presidential Proclamation 10043 issued on May 29, 2020, which already impacted Chinese student mobility.

The Managing Director expressed concern that the reported visa policy intensification risks further undermining academic exchanges between China and the United States. This could deepen existing challenges to international educational cooperation, impacting students, institutions, and bilateral relations.

In anticipation of these changes, the Managing Director expects the Chinese government will respond not only with diplomatic statements but also by actively expanding educational collaborations with other countries. Domestic institutions, including those in Hong Kong and Macau, as well as transnational education institutions and joint academic programs, are likely to increase student intake—following a model similar to the flexible and innovative approaches adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prospective students are advised to proactively explore diverse academic pathways. This includes considering study destinations beyond the United States and evaluating high-quality transnational education institutions and programs within China, such as Duke Kunshan University, New York University Shanghai, and Wenzhou-Kean University. Students should avoid relying solely on unpredictable policy developments and instead take a comprehensive, long-term approach to their academic and professional planning. The Managing Director anticipates that other international destinations and transnational education programs in China will experience increased interest.

The Managing Director also highlighted that while such policy measures may be framed as strategic national decisions, their consequences at the individual level can be severe—potentially disrupting students’ academic progress and life plans. Given the high cost of uncertainty, students are encouraged to take proactive steps rather than waiting passively for policy changes.

The Managing Director’s response underscores the importance of adaptability and long-term planning in the face of evolving international education policies. Continued efforts toward educational collaboration and diversification of academic opportunities remain vital to support Chinese students’ aspirations and global academic exchange.

The report by Times Higher Education can be found here.

China unveiled a new educational blueprint - the 2024-2035 master plan for building itself into a leading country in education, vowing to build a strong education system by 2035 to support its modernization drive and national rejuvenation. The country has signaled its intent to work more closely with foreign universities in this new blueprint for its education system. Analysts believe that the focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) could have international appeal, despite ongoing security concerns.

The Managing Director of The Educationist commented on Times Higher Education's report, stating that China's 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education is "in response to challenges faced by the Chinese economy, including economic sanctions on high-tech industries, which have further aggravated the war for talent." He noted that China is seeking to cultivate talent domestically by opening up to foreign universities, especially as it faces challenges in sending its students abroad for education, particularly STEM education.

The report by Times Higher Education can be found here.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has suddenly interrupted the learning of higher education institutions. Higher education institutions are exploring different ways to deliver courses to their students, particularly international students. Online learning, blended learning and face-to-face are chosen as the ways to deliver courses as the change of the outbreak of COVID-19. It is noted that higher education institutions utilize their global networks to deliver courses to their international students.

International higher education is facing challenges for the outbreak of the COVID-19. One of the big challenges is study mobility. International students leave the host country for the closure of campuses. New and current international students cannot or will not return campuses as travel restrictions and concerns of health. As the outbreak will not be controlled in a short time, higher education institutions start to look for ways to deliver courses to their international students. Online learning, blended learning and face-to-face learning are adopted by higher education institutions at different phases of the outbreak of COVID-19. Higher education institutions also innovatively utilize their global networks to provide education to their international students during the outbreak of COVID-19.

Online Learning

Online Learning is becoming the only choice of higher education institutions to deliver courses as the closure of the campuses, although many higher education institutions are not well prepared for online learning as the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19. Information technology provides tools for higher education institutions to continue their education in a distance way. However, there are many challenges for online learning. Firstly, higher education institutions, faculty and students are not prepared for online learning as the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19. Secondly, online learning increases educational inequalities as

students from poorer families suffer lack of device and/or quality internet. Thirdly, online learning lacks interaction between faculty and students and among students, although online interaction is encouraged. Fourthly, online learning cannot provide practical opportunities. Laboratory and practice are compulsory component of some programs, although this challenge may be overcome as the development of technology in future, such as augmented reality and virtual reality technologies.

Blended Learning

Blended learning is becoming one of the options when campuses reopen. Blended learning may reduce the density of population on campus, which is helpful for the prevention and control of the outbreak of COVID-19. International students who stay in the host country may continue their study online and on campus. Blended learning makes face-to-face learning possible, which overcomes the disadvantages of online learning.

Face-to-face Learning

Face-to-face learning is the most traditional way to deliver courses. After the chaos at the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19, campuses start to reopen. International students who stay in the host country may have face-to-face learning given they and the faculty can return campus. In the meantime, online learning and blended learning are still useful as some international students and faculty cannot return campuses for travel restrictions.

Internalization for Education

Despite the reopen of campuses, some international students, particularly new international students, cannot or will not return campuses for travel restrictions or healthy concerns. Recently, it is noted that internationalization of higher education is becoming a model of education for international students to overcome the challenges of the outbreak of COVID-19. High education institutions innovatively utilize their global networks to provide education to their international students, who do not return campuses. Higher education institutions host their international students at their overseas campuses/hubs or partners’ campuses. For example, New York University developed the "Go Local" plan in response to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students from its three portal campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, may apply to study at one of the campuses that is open and closer to their homes. Shanghai Campus hosts about 2,300 Chinese undergraduates and 800 graduate students from New York Campus and Abu Dhabi Campus. Even some higher education institutions do not have overseas hubs/campuses, they partner with overseas universities to host their international students. For example, Cornell University developed “Study Away” scheme, international students who do not return campus can live and study at a local campus in their country or region while taking a mix of online and face-to-face classes. Cornell University provided sixteen locations across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America for its international students.

            This innovative model that host international students at their overseas hubs/campuses or partners’ campuses provides full support to international students and makes face-to-face learning possible given there are enough faculty. Further, it provides opportunities for face-to-face interaction among students. However, this model is still facing challenges. In addition to the shortage of facilities, there may be not enough faculty due to the huge increase of international students at overseas hubs/campuses and partners’ campuses. The students may still need to take online learning from the home campus. And international students, particularly new international students, cannot immerse the culture of the home campus as they still stay at their home countries. Thus, it could be a work around for the current situation.

Internationalization of Higher Education

Due to the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, international high education is facing challenges. The core of the challenge is to deliver quality education to international students. As the change of the situation, higher education institutions have adopted different ways to deliver courses, while there are still many challenges for these models. Higher education institutions that have integrated internationalization innovatively utilize their global networks to provide education to their international students. These are good examples how internationalization of higher education tackles the challenges of international higher education caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. Are the challenges of international higher education because of internationalization or being not internationalized enough?