Knowledge Diplomacy in the De-Risking Context

What Does “De-Risking” Mean for EU-China Higher Education Collaboration

Bibliographic Data

ID21611216
AuthorsWei Liu (0000-0002-5949-0302, University of Alberta, corresponding author), Marianne Løkke Jakobsen (0000-0003-3488-7546, Royal Danish Academy of Music), Cheryl Yu (0000-0002-1444-5516, London Fashion Academy, UK), Chao Huang (0000-0003-1097-0679, Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Olli‐Pekka Malinen (0000-0002-8045-041X, University of Helsinki), Olli-Pekka Malinen (University of Helsinki), Xiangsu Zhang (China Medical University)
Year2025
Volume29
Issue2
Pages256-274
Publication date2025-05-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Studies in International Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1028-3153 • E-ISSN: 1552-7808
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/10283153251315259
OpenAlexW4406950272
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited14

The de-risking strategy rolled out by the European Union (EU) in 2023 was a major historical event for EU-China relations in higher education. In this study, 40 international education professionals from both China and the EU were interviewed to glean an understanding of what potential impact the policy may have on EU-China relations in higher education. Using knowledge diplomacy as a theoretical lens, this study aims to examine whether the higher education sector is able to balance national security and knowledge diplomacy in their international activities in the “de-risking” context. Despite some important concerns perceived, close to half of international educators from both sides are optimistic about the higher education sector's ability to transcend geopolitical tensions and continue collaboration. The confidence in the future prospect shows that de-risking presents challenges to collaborations, but the challenges do not necessarily eliminate the possibility of knowledge diplomacy

China · Diplomacy · Geography · Higher education · Political science · Sociology · Higher Education Governance and Development · International Student and Expatriate Challenges · University-Industry-Government Innovation Models

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