Re/producing the global middle class: International baccalaureate alumni at “world class” universities in Hong Kong

This research investigated educational pathways into a Global Middle Class characterised by professional or managerial careers, cosmopolitan sensibilities, and global mobility. The focus was upper middle-class International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) alumni at universities in Hong Kong. 42 in-depth interviews were conducted with IBDP alumni at two “world-class” Hong Kong universities. Findings illuminated how students were well-positioned for careers associated with the Global Middle Class. Despite growing up in expatriate and local families across a diversity of countries, most IBDP alumni discussed self-perceptions of cosmopolitan sensibilities, a close-knit social clique based around a globalised identity, participation in globally-oriented extracurricular activities, and global economic futures. Nevertheless, there were paradoxes of cosmopolitan sensibilities as the IBDP alumni perceived a lack of belonging to the universities and a disconnection with the local society. Copyright © 2019 CESHK Spring Conference.