Understanding Faculty Migration and Retention Challenges in China’s Higher Education System

Abstract

Teacher migration from private to public higher education institutions has emerged as a critical challenge in China, threatening the stability and quality of private universities. This review synthesizes existing scholarship to examine the primary drivers of faculty turnover, including insufficient policy and financial support, low professional status and social recognition, ineffective performance evaluation systems, and inadequate compensation and benefits. Private institutions often adopt public university governance models without adaptation, limiting flexibility in faculty management and weakening institutional competitiveness. The review also identifies gaps in the literature: most studies analyze these factors in isolation, lack regional contextualization, and rely heavily on quantitative or policy-based approaches, with limited qualitative insights into teachers’ lived experiences. To address these gaps, future research should integrate qualitative case studies with mixed-methods and longitudinal designs to provide more nuanced, context-specific insights into migration dynamics. Comparative analyses across regions and institution types are also needed to capture structural differences and policy impacts. Such multidimensional approaches could inform more comprehensive policy development and institutional reforms aimed at strengthening retention, enhancing job satisfaction, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of private higher education in China.