Dr Paul Breen for Times Higher Education on the need for Western universities to adopt a more Chinese-friendly teaching style

The article highlights the differing perspectives and ways of thinking between Western and East Asian thinkers. Specifically, Dr Breen notes that Western-style critical thinking is about taking knowledge and applying our own interpretation to it, whereas East Asian learners look at the world from a Confucian perspective, seeking binary answers rather than shades of grey.

With this in mind, Dr Breen argues that UK universities should do more to recognise the unique learning style of Chinese students and adapt their teaching accordingly if they wish to retain the high numbers of Chinese students coming to the UK for higher education.

Addressing this point, Dr Breen writes: “Western universities should be wary of assuming that this thirst [for a UK university experience] can be endlessly milked. While the travels of these sea turtles, as they are sometimes known back home, are still seen as necessary to China’s development, this may not always be the case."

He continues: “In those circumstances, unless their expectations are better monitored and met, they may choose to stay home, with serious consequences for Western universities’ bottom lines – not to mention their global influence.”

Speaking about how Western-style criticality could be made more relevant to Chinese students, and not just seen as a technique for passing exams, Dr Breen writes: “That could partly be overcome by applying it to specifically Chinese contexts. One example might be Chinese transportation advances, where China appears to have looked at what Japan was doing with its bullet trains and created its own maglev versions. My experience is that such efforts to make assignments more relevant to them are greatly appreciated by the students.”

Read the full opinion piece on the Times Higher Education website.