Returnee Scholars’ Academic Reintegration into Chinese Regional Universities: the Role of Transnational Capital

When Chinese scholars who have obtained doctoral degrees or have undertaken research visits abroad return to work in China, they bring with them transferable experiences, knowledge, and skills acquired overseas. However, they also face challenges with academic reintegration. This study, through 18 semi-structured interviews with returnee scholars, examines the academic reintegration processes of these individuals at Chinese regional universities, focusing on the impact of transnational capital on their reintegration. It highlights the challenges that returnee scholars encounter, such as insufficient resources or a lack of academic infrastructure, and demonstrates how transnational capital can serve as a valuable asset for academic reintegration. This article advocates for a contextualized understanding of the academic reintegration process that considers how the scholars’ personal attributes and the environments of their home institutions either facilitate or impede transnational knowledge production. Our findings have implications for the development of policies by the Chinese government and regional universities to support the reintegration of returnee scholars.