Tibetan students’ experiences amid ethnic language programmes consolidation: redefining multilingual education in Chinese higher education

This study examines a series of educational reforms involving the consolidation of ethnic minority language programmes at a Minzu university in China, amid efforts to integrate these languages into higher education degree programmes. Focusing on Tibetan students’ participation and experiences, it finds that while reforms provide limited interdisciplinary opportunities and modest career prospects, they have nonetheless reduced the scope of minority language instruction, thereby compromising language preservation and academic identity. The structural limitations of these programmes, specifically their inability to fully integrate ethnic languages into the broader curricula, create a tension between safeguarding these minority languages and delivering academic training that incorporates Mandarin skills essential for academic and career success in China. By examining the disconnect between global ideals of multilingual education and their local policy implementations, this study provides insights into the unique case of global-local dynamics shaping language education programmes in China’s higher education.