"PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS": EXPERIENCES OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN DOCTORAL STUDENTS

This study amplifies the voices of international women doctoral students through their shared experiences in their doctoral program. Although studies acknowledge the significance of exploring the experiences of women doctoral students, there remains a dearth of literature documenting the experiences of international women doctoral students in China. Participants were made up of purposefully sampled international women in their PhD program in a public university in Northeast China. Using open-ended questions, in-depth one-on-one interviews were conducted with the participants. The findings indicate that although participants perceived their experience at this university as being transformative, they however also expressed their personal struggles of learning as women in a PhD program. The implication of this study for future research and policy is further discussed.