Foreign students’ satisfaction with the service quality of Chinese universities is essential for the sustainable internationalization of China’s higher education system. The present study employs a survey research method to bring in the foreign students’ perspective of the various aspects of service quality in seven key Chinese universities. Accordingly, 618 valid questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis (PCA), and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study findings posit that, although foreign students affirm that teachers are supportive and well qualified, they have concerns about the English proficiency of instructors. Likewise, foreign students were not satisfied with the frequency of formal research meetings with their advisers and the assistance with research techniques and relevant literature sources. Overall, female foreign students were less satisfied than their male counterparts. Moreover, foreign students reported higher satisfaction from teaching services and learning resources, moderate satisfaction from advisory services, and meager satisfaction from the administrative and support services of their respective Chinese institutions. Besides, we found significant differences between sample Chinese universities on various constructs of service quality. Likewise, arts and social sciences students were less satisfied with the service quality of the institution as compared to their natural sciences and engineering counterparts. The policy implications of this research for various stakeholders are discussed.

China has witnessed a remarkable surge in the enrollment of international students in recent years and the state government has made a massive investment to build key universities of international repute. These trends made it imperative to investigate the underlying motivational aspirations of foreign students arriving from diverse regions to get enrolled in public sector Chinese universities. The present study designed an in-depth survey questionnaire and collected data from 618 foreign students enrolled in postgraduate programs at seven key state universities in the Hubei province of China. The item-based, dimension-based, and variable-level analysis approach is used to systematically uncover the facets of the internationalization of Chinese higher education in the current setting. In so doing, we employ descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, ANOVA, correlation and regression estimations, and path models to ensure the robustness of empirical outcomes. In light of the push and pull factor model regarding motivational factors for foreign students to study in China, the findings of this study assert that academic pursuits mainly dictate the international student’s decision to attain higher education in China. While obtaining a foreign degree, international image prestige, and better employment prospects after the completion of the degree were the key intentions that mainly shape the students’ decision to get enrolled in Chinese universities. Furthermore, the discriminant analysis posits that international students significantly differ in their motivational dimensions to obtain a higher degree from China. As foreign students from Asia and Africa mainly have academic goals while Europeans and Americans predominantly have pleasure and enjoyment motives to study in China. The outcomes of this research can assist Chinese administrators to understand the key motivational factors for foreign students to study in China and devise a policy accordingly to attract high quality foreign talent.

With the advancement of digitalization and blended learning, the integration of internationalization and technology has become increasingly significant in the context of English-medium Instruction (EMI). Both in-person and live online EMI courses delivered by foreign teachers (EMI-FT) have emerged as key components of Chinese universities' internationalization strategies. EMI refers to the use of English to teach academic subjects in non-English-speaking countries, exposing students to the challenges of intercultural learning and communication. Prior research indicates that such environments often provoke emotional disturbances, especially in virtual settings where interpersonal engagement is limited. As an essential component of intercultural competence, intercultural sensitivity (IS) is believed to play a crucial role in enhancing students' ability to adapt and succeed in EMI-FT environments. Specifically, IS may influence deep learning (DL), which promotes a deeper understanding and the application of knowledge. However, existing studies have rarely examined how IS affects students' learning experiences and outcomes in both in-person and online EMI-FT contexts. Guided by Biggs' 3P (Presage-Process-Product) model, our study constructs a mediation framework to investigate the relationships among IS, DL, and learning outcomes (LO) across both delivery modes. Data were collected using self-reported instruments from 1192 students across five universities in southern China. The results revealed that: (1) students perceived live online EMI-FT as less effective than in-person EMI-FT in promoting DL and LO; (2) IS was positively associated with both DL and LO; (3) DL mediated the relationship between IS and LO, with a more substantial mediation effect in the online setting; and (4) multi-group analysis revealed significant differences in the IS-DL-LO pathways between in-person and online samples. These findings offer actionable insights for universities seeking to tailor EMI-FT strategies to enhance student engagement and learning across diverse instructional formats.