China’s domestic journal ranking system—long seen as a counterpart to the Journal Citation Reports—has been withdrawn by its official publisher. But as a new platform emerges from the same team, deeper questions are being asked about credibility, control, and the future of research evaluation.
China has unveiled a significant package of reforms to its transnational education (TNE) framework, aiming to streamline approvals, expand institutional flexibility, and deepen global partnerships. The changes suggest a shift from controlled expansion toward more strategic, quality-driven international collaboration.
International branch campuses are often analysed as instruments of global higher education strategy. Less attention, however, has been paid to how students themselves arrive at the decision to enrol in them.
China’s international branch campuses are expanding rapidly, promising global pathways and English-medium degrees. But new evidence suggests they disproportionately serve urban, affluent students, with family income emerging as a decisive factor in access. Rather than widening participation, these institutions risk reinforcing existing inequalities within Chinese higher education.
