Outsiders within: exploring integration strategies of international faculty in chinese higher education institutions

Abstract

International faculty (IF) are increasingly recruited to Chinese universities to support knowledge transfer and internationalisation, yet they frequently report experiencing persistent marginal positions. This study examines how IF in Chinese higher education navigate this marginal status. Drawing on thirty semi-structured interviews, we identify five reflexive tactics: playing by the rules, contextual collaboration, negotiating around the rules, tactical non-pursuit, and strategic self-detachment. These tactics are deployed across four domains of institutional integration: cultural norms, interpersonal relations, resources, and academic practice. By foregrounding reflexivity, the analysis reframes integration not as a binary outcome of assimilation or marginalisation, but as a non-linear decision-making process mediated by ethical judgement. The study reveals that integration encompasses not only intercultural competence and resource allocation, but also a strategic balancing of selective engagement and detachment, driven by distinct ethical foci. Findings underscore the value of more inclusive institutional cultures and greater tolerance for outsider-within positions.