Hai Gui or Hai Dai? Chinese student migrants and the role of Norwegian mobility capital in career success

Abstract

In this article, welook at an example of student migration between Asia and Europe: movement between China and Norway, with the main objective of illustrating the value of studying in Norway to career development upon return to the sending country. Adapting terminology associated with Bourdieu, we discussthis experience as ‘mobility capital’, exploring the value of skills and capacities acquired while abroad in career success. Evidence is drawn from a recent qualitative study of former student migrants from across China, all of whom had previously studied in Norway at Master’s degree level. Analysis of our material demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of what we term Norwegian ‘mobility capital’, with discussion of these outcomes organizedusing two heuristic categories: ‘Hai Gui’, a termthat refersto a returnee experiencing career success, and ‘Hai Dai’, whichrelates to returnees who cannot find a secure job upon return.