The Power of Myth-understandings: Critical Skills for Effective Intercultural Doctoral Supervision of Chinese Students

The book addresses the misunderstandings and implicit stereotypes that continue to arise in and influence the intercultural encounters of staff and international doctoral students. In addition to providing real-life examples, the author demonstrates that misunderstandings recur due to a lack of implicit and complex intercultural knowledge and practical tools for applying this knowledge in daily practice. She proposes the concept of "myth-understanding" to describe a temporary and transitional state of clarity deficiency before misunderstandings arise, which helps to create a "buffer zone" to address potential misunderstandings between international students and their supervisors. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of misunderstandings, the book sheds light on the positive side—it indicates that intercultural differences can provide an opportunity for both supervisors and students to develop implicit intercultural knowledge, challenge their preconceptions of each other, and reassess their own educational perspectives and practices. The book will attract scholars of intercultural education, European university staff and professors who interact with international students, intercultural education officers, and doctoral students with an international (especially Asian) background.

Table of Contents:
1 General introduction 2 Fear and joy, contentment and anguish: Reconciling neglected emotions of international doctoral students 3 “I don’t believe you”: Misunderstandings between a Chinese doctoral student and a Dutch supervisor 4 Asking a “stupid” question? Fostering independence within the zone of proximal development 5 Bridging the operational gap: Decoding and operationalizing the implicit complex intercultural knowledge in practice 6 Problems or promises? Intercultural differences as catalysts for mutual learning 7 A practical guide: How to celebrate intercultural differences and effectively address misunderstandings

About the Author :
Yanjuan Hu is an associate professor in Higher Education at the Faculty of Education, Southwest University. She obtained her PhD from Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching, the Netherlands. Her current research interests include transcultural teaching and learning, virtual internationalization, supervision of student research, and teacher professional development.

Review :
“A must read for any supervisor of international PhD students. Through careful studies, the author shows the need for intercultural awareness in PhD supervision and provides clear evidence-based recommendations how to uncover our biases and the hidden curriculum we so much implicitly rely on.” Professor Roeland van der Rijst, Leiden University, The Netherlands “Delving into Chinese PhD students' intercultural experiences with Dutch supervisors, including her own, Yanjuan's work insightfully interprets the emergence and dynamics of their heterogeneous misunderstandings. It reveals these differences as sources for mutual learning, not merely barriers. Reading her compelling reflections will definitely benefit future students and supervisors.” Xiaowei Tang, University of Macau “Dr. Hu’s book, The Power of Myth, offers a timely and insightful exploration of the cultural nuances in doctoral supervision, equipping educators with practical tools to overcome misunderstandings and foster meaningful supervision for Chinese doctoral students. It is an essential read for academics committed to inclusive and effective cross-cultural collaboration in higher education.” Hongbiao Yin, Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Chinese University of Hong Kong