How Does Training Abroad Affect Faculty Income? An Analysis Based on the “2014 Faculty Survey in China”

Abstract Training abroad is an important avenue for promoting the specialized development of faculty and improving international accomplishments. On the basis of the data from the 2014 Faculty Survey in China, this paper applies the technique of propensity score matching to control for the self-selection bias in the sample, so as to quantitatively evaluate the economic benefits of training abroad for faculty. The study finds that training abroad presents significant economic returns, while the potential benefits of training abroad for faculty members who have not yet pursued training abroad are higher than the benefits for faculty members who have pursued training abroad; a nonlinear relationship exists between the period of time for which a faculty member pursues training abroad and the economic benefits thereof, with the order of the economic benefits of training abroad from least to most for different time periods being: 1 year, less than one half year, more than one half year to less than 1 year, and more than 1 year. The conclusions of the study provide an empirical basis for the selection of pathways for the professional development of faculty in the future, as well as the design and refinement of training abroad programs, et cetera.