关键词: 绅士化, 学生化, 高等教育, 城中村, 广州下渡村

Abstract: Studentification is a newly emerged form of gentrification. It refers to a particular type of urban spatial and residential restructuring under the context of higher education expansion, particularly in the UK. Through the production of residential spaces by rent-seekers such as private investors and landlords catering to the specific lifestyle and cultural identity of university students, the residential pattern of students is transformed into a high-degree geographical concentration across several areas in the city. These student residential areas are often in the form of HMO (House in Multiple Occupation), equipped with cultural and retail services, such as theme bars, restaurants, and recreational facilities. The influx of students into local neighborhoods has given rise to residential displacement and a series of social, economic and cultural consequences. This paper starts with a literature review on the concepts, causes, social impacts and mutations of the process of studentification, which are mainly drawn from case studies in the UK and Australia. In the second half of this paper, we present a line of empirical evidence based on our research on Xiadu Village, a studentified urban village close to the main campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou. Our findings suggest that the studentifcation process in Xiadu Village shares similarities with western experiences, while demonstrating clear incongruence. These similarities and differences between the west and China are summarized in four aspects: economic, social, economic and physical landscapes. The differences also lie in the prospects of studentification and its connection with other forms of gentrification. China's studentification process seems to prolong after students graduate from university, and this unique experience rarely transforms into or has influence on other forms of gentrification. We also points out that the research on studentification would be instrumental to understand the complex dynamics of China's rapid urban transformation. Meanwhile, in the light of the rapid expansion of higher education in China, the research on studentification will be of practical significance.

Key words: gentrification, studentification, higher education, urban village, Xiadu Village in Guangzhou