Contingent mobility
A structuration analysis of Pakistani PhD students in Chinese universities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/1q2w8896Keywords:
Academic mobility, Structuration theory, Contingent mobility, Pakistani PhD studentsAbstract
Conventional models predict that Pakistani doctoral students prioritize Western destinations, yet China is their fastest-growing choice. This study examines this contradiction through Giddens' structuration theory and interviews 15 Pakistani PhD students across Chinese universities. The concept of contingent mobility captures trajectories that are neither voluntary nor forced, emerging from structural precarity in Pakistan’s political instability, research deficits, and sociocultural constraints and asymmetric opportunities in China, including scholarships, flexible admissions, and advanced facilities. Students navigate domestic barriers through credentials and peer networks rather than strategic planning. Extending structuration theory, we argue that Giddens' assumption of stable structures requires revision for deteriorating contexts. Contingent mobility has three dimensions: survival and aspiration, pragmatic-to-epistemic motivation, and soft power intersecting with marginalization. Revealing south–south mobility as distinct from south–north flows, this study offers a revised structuration framework for global south academic migration.
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