Zeng, L., Sun, X., Wu, H.*, & Ding, C. (2025). Cultivating global minds: the development of undergraduates’ international capabilities at an elite university in China’s Yangtze River Delta. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12, 1362. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05599-w
Abstract [Translation] This study employs a mixed-methods research approach to explore the development of international capabilities among undergraduates at an elite university in the Yangtze River Delta region. Based on a survey of 335 undergraduates and interviews with both faculty and students, the research investigates various institutional and individual factors affecting students’ self-perceived development of international capabilities, with a particular focus on students’ participation in formal internationalization courses as part of the university’s localized internationalization initiatives. Quantitative research results indicate that institutional resources and quality assurance, students’ participation attitudes, and personal international experiences significantly influence the enhancement of international capabilities. Furthermore, structural equation modeling reveals the mediating role of personal international experiences on participation attitudes. Qualitative research uncovers key challenges, including disparities in English language proficiency, insufficient classroom cultural diversity, and lack of institutional support. These findings underscore the necessity of systematically and coordinately advancing localized internationalization at the institutional level to cultivate competitive practitioners on both global and national scales within the context of the Global South.