Strategy and sustainability discourses in higher education partnership building between China and UK

ompanied by an emergent ‘strategy’ and ‘sustainability’ discourse, international higher education (HE) partnership building has become increasingly orchestrated non-academic (i.e. operational, managerial) agents, thereby shifting away from universities’ ‘academic heartland’. The purpose of this article is to scrutinise the frequently used, yet often ill-defined, ‘strategic’ ‘sustainable’ nature way it transforms power dynamics sense agency both across within universities. Drawing on qualitative research with university staff at two partnering institutions (HEIs) in UK China, explores different interpretations what strategic sustainable means sheds light conflicts that emerge between academic stakeholders process. In doing so, highlights all-pervasive influence managerialism HE potential effects can have success or failure partnerships.