Who were these women when they arrived, and who will they become?
Updates
Wuyong Book Club talk, August 2 2025
墨尔本大学文化研究学者马嘉兰教授(Prof. Fran Martin)在《远走高飞之梦:中国女性留学生在西方》(Dreams of Flight: The Lives of Chinese Women Students in the West)中,以细腻的笔触记录了中国留学生在澳大利亚的复杂生存图景,折射出留学经历如何重塑性别认知、生命叙事与自由主义想象;同时批判审视澳大利亚高等教育体系中的结构性问题,在英文世界为中国留学生群体发声。
Women on the Move: Transnational Experiences of Chinese Female Students in Australia
A one-way ticket, a farewell hug at the airport, three oversized suitcases, a small empty bedroom, and a heart brimming with anticipation. This is how the journey begins for many Chinese international students.
As global education continues to shape career trajectories and personal aspirations, Chinese women stand at the forefront of transnational mobility. Studying abroad is no longer just about earning a degree, it is a transformative journey that reshapes identity, career pathways, and intimate relationships. Navigating between the values of their home culture and the realities of life overseas, these women seek self-identity in contradictions, grow through uncertainty, and, in the solitude of a foreign land, redefine independence and intimacy on their own terms.
This event brings together leading scholars to examine the evolving experiences of Chinese women graduates from Australian universities. Professor Fran Martin will present follow-up research on the post-study lives of Chinese female graduates in Australia, expanding on the insights from her acclaimed book Dreams of Flight: The Lives of Chinese Women Students in the West. Dr. Hao Zheng will explore how Chinese queer female students navigate traditional milestones of “success” and the concept of “responsibility” as they craft their queer and adult identities within a transnational context.
Zoom Link:
https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/82800680330
Meeting ID: 82800680330
What does "settling down" mean to Chinese women graduates of Australian universities?
In this talk hosted at the Institute for Australian and Chinese Arts and Culture, Western Sydney University, Fran reveals some emerging research insights from Phase 3 of the study, focussing on participants’ evolving understandings and experiences of what it means for a woman to “settle down”––in time, space and emotion––after study abroad. Full video is available here.
Listen to an in-depth podcast discussion between Fran and Yadong Li for the New Books Network, on the research process, findings and authorial back-story behind Dreams of Flight.