Navigating Shifts in Europe-China Higher Education Cooperation: An Institutional Logics Perspective

Abstract

Understanding the changing dynamics of Europe-China cooperation is essential, particularly against the backdrop of recent geopolitical shifts that have added layers of complexity to this relationship. This shifts underscore the need for a nuanced analysis of the drivers of such international collaboration, which represents a gap in both theoretical and empirical research. Our study explores the complex nature of this cooperation from the perspective of institutional logics, focusing on how societal changes have influenced the interaction of scientific, economic, and political logics underlying the cooperation from 1975 to the present. Through analysing relevant literature and policy documents, our findings uncover how varying logics' compatibilities between and within the two regions have influenced the course of Europe-China higher education collaboration. In doing so, this paper not only addresses a gap in the literature on the intricate factors shaping Europe-China academic relations but also establishes a theoretical foundation for future research on international higher education cooperation in a rapidly evolving global context.