Junhong Gao Zhiyu Zhao Hongwei Li ^*

• Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China

China has contributed the most international students to the global higher-education sector for over a decade. Existing research has indicated various risk factors faced by international students. However, few studies have examined the risks experienced by Chinese international students. Therefore, the following research questions were investigated in this study: (1) Which risk factor has the greatest impact on Chinese international students when studying abroad? and (2) Which risk factor is most frequently experienced by Chinese international students when studying abroad? To address these questions, this study proposes a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) model for evaluating the risk factors faced by Chinese international students. The model comprises six second-level factors and 22 third-level indicators, which was empirically examined by data collected through 556 questionnaires. The analytical hierarchy process and factor analysis were employed to calculate the index weight of second-level factors and third-level indicators. The results reveal that the risk factor, psychological discrepancy, has the greatest impact and is most likely to be experienced by Chinese international students. The paper provides an integrated research perspective to study the risk of international students. The constructed model can be used to evaluate risk factors faced by overseas students from other countries.Suggestions are provided for Chinese students who are considering studying abroad; for international universities on what can they do to improve the experiences of Chinese students; and for national policy-makers to develop multi-beneficial policies for all stakeholders, including Chinese international students.