高等教育机构自诞生之日起就具有国际化基因，国际学生流动作为高等教育国际化的显著标志之一，不但可以扩大国家的世界影响力，也是促进社会、经济繁荣的重要武器。进入21世纪，以美国为首的留学发达国家争相发展留学生教育，通过实施个性化的国际学生流动政策吸引全球各地的学生前往就读。截至目前，美国在留学生教育的全球竞争中处于领先地位，是高等教育阶段接收国际学生数量最多的国家。改革开放以来，随着中国综合实力和国际地位的不断提升，来华留学人员数量日益增长，中国已经成为新兴的留学目的地国。然而，与美国等留学教育发达国家相比，我国仍然存在不小的差距，来华留学教育政策在实践过程中面临诸多问题与挑战。本研究既能丰富教育政策的分析框架，帮助人们深入理解美国开展留学教育的理论、政策与实践的关系，又能为新时期加强和完善来华留学教育政策提供参考，对适应我国教育对外开放的发展大局有着重要的实践意义。 本研究基于间断——均衡理论和倡议联盟框架，通过使用文献研究法和个案分析法，对二战后美国联邦政府颁布的与接收国际学生最直接相关的《富布赖特法》、《国防教育法》第六章、《国际教育法》和《美国爱国者法案》第四章的发展背景、政策内容与实施过程、政策影响与反馈进行研究，然后利用倡议联盟框架对政策变迁中的相对稳定变量、外部事件变量、政策子系统内的联盟信念体系、以政策为导向的博弈与学习过程进行分析，最后，结合公共政策学中的间断——均衡理论和倡议联盟框架提出的重要假设，归纳美国国际学生流动政策的变迁机制，总结政策变迁中的经验与问题。

本研究主要发现六点核心结论。第一，美国国际学生流动政策的变迁是在渐进式模式和间断均衡模式下交替进行的。符合不同时期的国家核心利益是政策变迁的出发点与归宿。总统的参与增加了国际学生流动政策快速变迁的可能性。第二，相对稳定变量通过制约政策参与者的资源和深层核心信念，引导美国国际学生流动政策的渐进式变迁。其中，根本的文化价值观为联盟内核心信念的形成奠定了基础，联邦体制决定了联邦政府与州政府和高校的分散型权力分配模式，为长期联盟机会机构的政策诉求提供了制度保障。第三，外部环境的变化是动摇美国国际学生流动政策核心信念、促使政策发生重大变迁的关键因素。首先，社会背景的变迁为政策的重大变迁提供了直接动力，经济条件为政策的变迁提供了物质保障。其次，公共舆论可以改变政策决策者对国际学生流动政策图景的判断，政策制定者可以利用公共舆论推行或阻碍政策行动。再次，只要提起政策的子系统倡议联盟仍然掌握权力，国际学生流动政策的核心就不会发生重大改变。第四，美国国际学生流动政策的变迁是通过不同联盟间以政策为导向的博弈与学习过程实现的。首先，国际学生流动政策联盟的参与者对政策核心问题的立场有着基本共识，但在信念体系的次要方面共识度较低。其次，以政策为导向的学习是引发国际学生流动政策变迁的重要机制，可以发生在联盟内部，也可以发生在跨联盟间，但通常只能改变政策的次要方面。此外，相对于外部事件，国际学生流动政策变迁的失败主要源于政策子系统内部。第五，在美国国际学生流动政策的变迁过程中，联邦政府始终强调对留学教育的领导权，注重发挥各州政府和高校的自主调节作用，重视与非营利性组织的政策协同关系。第六，美国国际学生流动政策的发展由于受到政策子系统内、外因素的制约暴露出诸多问题。其一，国际学生流动政策的发展难以摆脱深厚的孤立主义传统。其二，在国家层面缺乏统一的国际学生流动政策指导各州和各高校的国际学生流动政策。其三，国际学生流动政策变迁中始终未能设立一个机构全面管理和协调来自各部门的资金，导致联邦资金无法得到最大限度的利用。 

本研究认为，应加强来华留学教育顶层设计，发挥来华留学教育的战略支撑作用；政府适当简政放权，促进高校自主发展；加强与非营利组织的合作，充分发挥其政策协同作用；重视留学教育质量，提升院校综合实力；丰富留学教育经费来源，完善留学资助服务体系；弘扬中国传统文化，增加其国际吸引力。

Higher education institutions have international genes since their birth. The international student mobility, as one of the most remarkable symbol of the internationalization of higher education, can not only expand a country‘s world influence, but also be an important weapon to promote social and economic prosperity. In the 21st century, the United States and other western countries have competed to develop international education, and have attracted students from all over the world to study by carrying out various international student mobility policies. By now, the United States is taking the lead in the global competition for international education and it also receives the largest number of international students in higher education. Since the reform and opening up, with the continuous improvement of China's comprehensive strength and international status, the number of international students studying in China has been increasing, making China an emerging country of destination for studying abroad. However, compared with the United States and other developed countries, there is still a long way to go as the studying abroad policy in China faces many problems and challenges. This study enriches the analytical framework of education policies, helps people to understand the relationship between theories, policies, and practices of international education in the United States, and provides a practical reference for improving the studying abroad policy in China in the new era and adapting to the opening up of China's education to the world.
Based on the punctuated-equilibrium theory and advocacy coalition framework, this study explores the policy background, policy contents, implementation process of and the policy impacts and feedbacks on the federal policies most directly related to receiving international students since World War II, such as the Fulbright Act of 1946, the Title VI of National Defense Education Act of 1958, the International Education Act of 1966 and the Title IV of the American PATRIOT Act of 2001 through the literature research and case analysis. Then, the advocacy coalition framework is adopted to analyze relatively stable parameters, external event parameters, policy belief systems in the policy subsystem and policy-oriented learning processes. Finally, research conclusions in terms of the policy changing mechanism, experiences and problems of international student mobility are drawn based on the assumptions proposed in the punctuated-equilibrium theory and the advocacy coalition framework.
This study has drawn six core conclusions. First, the development model of international student mobility policies in the United States is alternating between progressive and punctuated equilibrium. To serve the core national interests in different periods is the starting point and ultimate goal of policy changes. The president's involvement has increased the possibility of rapid policy changes. Second, relatively stable parameters guide the progressive change of the international student mobility policy by restricting the resources and deep core beliefs of policy participants. Among them, fundamental cultural values have laid the foundation for the formation of core beliefs within the alliance. The federal system determines the decentralized power distribution mode of the federal government, state governments and universities, and provides institutional guarantee for the policy appeals of long-term coalition opportunity structures. Third, changes in the external environment are the key factors that shake the core beliefs of the international student mobility policy and promote major policy changes. First of all, changes in the social background provide a direct impetus for major policy changes, and economic conditions provide material basis for policy changes. What‘s more, public opinion can change international student mobility policy images of policy makers, who can make use of public opinion to promote or hinder policy actions. Lastly, as long as the supporting alliance that brings up the policy still holds power, the core of the policy won‘t change significantly. Fourth, changes in the international student mobility policy are achieved through a policy-oriented learning process between different alliances. Firstly, the participants of the international student mobility policy alliance have a basic consensus on the policy core beliefs, but the consensus on the secondary beliefs is low. Additionally, policy-oriented learning is an important mechanism that triggers changes in international student mobility policies, which can occur within an alliance or across alliances, but usually changed minor aspects of the policy. Furthermore, compared with external events, the failure of the international student mobility policy change is mainly due to the policy subsystem. Fifth, in the process of policy changes, the federal government always emphasizes its leadership in international student mobility, pays attention to the autonomous regulatory roles of state governments and universities, and values policy synergy with non-profit organizations. Sixth, the development of the international student mobility policy in the United States has also exposed many problems due to the constraints of internal and external factors in the policy subsystem. First, it cannot escape from the deep tradition of isolationism. Second, there is not a comprehensive policy at the federal level to guide international student mobility policies in states and universities. Third, the lack of an agency which can manage and coordinate funds from various departments results in the inability to maximize the use of federal funds. It is necessary to strengthen the top-level design and strategic supporting role of studying abroad policy in China, to streamline administration and delegating power to the independent development of universities, to enhance the collaborations with non-profit organizations to reach policy synergy. It is also imperative to improve the quality of international education and comprehensive strength of China‘s universities, to enrich and perfect the funding service system, to strengthen appeal of Chinese traditional culture.