TRENDING MAJORS AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN CHINA: A CASE OF AFRICAN STUDENTS? Livingstone Obed Lazarus Banda 1 , Jin Liu 2 , Jane Thokozani Banda 3 , Zhou wenhui 4 1,2,4 Graduate School of Education, Beijing Institute of Technology. No. 5 South Zhong Guan Cun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, People’s Republic of China. 3 Nalikule College of Education, Kanengo, Lilongwe 4, Malawi Abstract The study used a comparative approach to determine common majors among international African students in Chinese institutions of higher education (CIHE). Data was collected through an online self-administered questionnaire from 1450 international students. Contrary to the demographic trends in the U.S. where the percentage of blacks tends to be lower in STEM disciplines and majors, in CIHE, more Africans are into STEM than into non-STEM majors, with Engineering topping the chart. A higher percentage of international American and European students patronized social sciences more than sciences and engineering majors in China compared to Africans and Asians who patronized engineering disciplines more than any other field. A higher percentage of international students from Oceania preferred majoring in arts seconded by humanities as compared with enrollment percentages among all international students from other continents. There was a higher percentage of African international students in CIHE pursuing engineering majors compared to Asians. This trend was traced both among the undergraduates and postgraduates. However, the margin was getting wider among females between the two races. Keywords Engineering, choice of majors, challenges, majors, and industry demand imbalance. Introduction A college major (specialty area) is an academic level of discipline which reflects "the knowledge, abilities, and qualities which an undergraduate is required to acquire for a certain classification of the discipline of social occupations or career" [1]. Choice of one's college major is a complex process involving many different factors. One's choice of major usually has a great impact on one's career and labor market after graduation [2], [3]. Instrumentalists view university education as closely linked to career opportunities, career definition, career advancement and path, and personal growth [4]. If no good care is taken on what, where, and which to study in HE, there shall be a terrible imbalance between the supply of graduates and demands of suitable graduates on the labor market. The situation may lead to more graduates without required skills and competencies while many employers will concurrently be lacking graduates with desired skills, competencies, and knowledge [5]. The relationship between HE and the labor market is symbiotic in nature [6], [7]. Much as some literature introduces a debate as to whether education per se can provide much by way of meaningful preparation for the graduates' optimal performance in their workplace, careful choice of one's major in higher education (HE) may be crucial if to serve the needs of an adaptable, sustainable, knowledge-based economy at local, regional and national levels [7]. Students choose a major having been influenced by different factors. All such criteria for choosing majors can be categorized into three; a) different sources of information and influence; b) job characteristics and c) student fit and interest in the subject [8] or appeal to the students' interests. In the absence of complete information, it's not easy for students to know how well such disciplines match their interests and abilities and the scope of the discipline they choose as their major [9]. Stanford University also advises that students should, first of all, consider whether they have passion or interest for a study area, assess their academic strengths and weaknesses, and scrutinize the objectives of their study instead of just following a career path blindly (Learn.org). The different sources of information and influence can be subdivided into 1) college's reputation in the subject, 2) parent, 3) high school guidance, 4) university advisor, 5) high school teacher and 6) high school advisor while job characteristics are sub-grouped into 1) potential job opportunities, 2) career advancement and 3) level of payment. In his study, Salah-Jaradat sub-classified student fit and interest in the subject into 1) interest in the subject, 2) aptitude in the subject and 3) high school-related subjects [8]. Different criteria exert relatively more influence at different levels during the course of student life with some influencing them more before they enroll for university undergraduate program, while others within the second year or