Lan Ge holds a Master’s degree in Chinese Studies from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prior to that, she completed her Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature at Xi’an International Studies University. After graduation, Lan Ge worked as a project manager at an educational consulting company in China, focusing on establishing cooperative bridges between Chinese and Southeast Asian higher education institutions. She was assigned to both the University of San Carlos in Cebu and the University of Cordillera in Baguio, the Philippines, where she was responsible for overseeing various educational projects in collaboration with Chinese partners. Lan Ge’s research interests primarily focus on higher education cooperation, the role of education in international relations, and the impacts of neoliberalism. She pays particular attention to the higher education collaboration between the Philippines and China.

Thesis title

Education as Soft Power: Geopolitical Strategies of Philippine-China Higher Education Cooperation in the Era of Neoliberalism

Abstract

This study explores the cooperation in higher education between the Philippines and China as a strategic tool of soft power, particularly in the context of neoliberal influences on educational policies. The complex historical relationship between the Philippines and China, characterized by territorial disputes and cultural exchanges, has driven both countries to utilize educational partnerships to enhance mutual understanding and economic collaboration. The research will review the history of cooperation in the educational sector, highlighting how cultural exchange and economic dependency have shaped the formation and development of this relationship. Then the study will analyze how this cooperation reflects both countries’ strategies in using education as a means of soft power and investigate the impact of educational collaboration on their economic and political relations. Finally, the research will discuss how, under the backdrop of neoliberal economic policies, this cooperation reshapes the economic and political dynamics between the two nations. By integrating various theoretical perspectives and empirical data, this study aims to reveal the significance of educational collaboration in international relations and its role in advancing geopolitical interests through the case of the Philippines and China.

Principal supervisor: Dr Maren Alfert

Secondary supervisor: Professor Liviu Matei