A Comparative Study of Student Unions Inside and Outside Mainland China

Abstract

With higher education entering a new normal status in China, student unions in higher education face new opportunities and challenges. To overcome these challenges it is necessary to learn from the successful experiences of student organizations inside and outside mainland China to create a reference for improving the creation process, organization and administration of student unions. This article presents an analysis and contrast of different organizational aspects of student unions in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan (HMT), and the United States such as their current development stages, creation and authorization process, structure, types of activities, sources of economic support and internal administration. Based on the differences, we propose to strengthen the administration of student unions, improve regulations, expand the sources of economic support, innovate activity forms, and promote the integration of student organizations and society with an aim of fostering a culture of inclusion, and ensuring a sound and sustainable development of student unions.