Navigating language, culture, and futures: Asian international students’ self-formation in China’s higher education

This study explores how Asian international students in China exercise agency and engage in self-formation during their international higher education experiences. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with nine students across diverse programmes and regions, the analysis applies Marginson’s self-formation framework to examine how participants navigate linguistic, cultural, and institutional challenges. The findings highlight students’ reflexive agency, identity negotiation, self-regulated learning, and future-oriented aspirations. This study contributes to international education research by revealing how students’ agentic practices shape their hybrid identities and educational trajectories within and beyond the Chinese context.