Abstract

This study investigates how Chinese scholars with Korean doctoral degrees discuss issues related to credential recognition, career barriers, and emotional uncertainty in online platforms. We analyze 1,842 narrative units collected from Xiaohongshu, employing computational semantic network analysis alongside contextual thematic interpretation to explore the relationships among academic identity, employment, supervisory support, and socio-cultural adaptation. The findings indicate that Korean doctoral credentials are often perceived as disadvantaged due to institutional rankings, limited recognition of KCI-indexed publications, and restricted access to academic networks. Negative expressions frequently coincide with perceived reputational stigma, challenges in leveraging overseas academic capital, and concerns regarding professional identity. Instead of quantifying discrimination within China's academic labor market, this study highlights how stigma related to degree origin is constructed and shared within platform-specific discourse. By connecting semantic patterns with contextual insights, the research enhances understanding of transnational doctoral mobility, symbolic capital, doctoral well-being, and credential hierarchies in academic employment.