Qiang Zha

Portraits of 21st century Chinese universities: In the move to mass higher education

This book results from a five year effort to understand how Chinas universities have changed in the dramatic move to a mass stage which has unfolded since the kate 1990s, it begins with a chapter analysing the national level policy process around the move to mass higher education.

Is There an Emerging Chinese Model of the University

In bringing this volume to a close, we feel compelled to consider whether there is an emerging Chinese model of the university. Admittedly, this consideration is influenced, more or less, by China’s economic success, which is now viewed by many as a Chinese model for development.1 This model, characterized by a unique approach to governmentality, social organization, economic management, and outlook on the world, has now won some recognition for its efficiency and effectiveness, in particular in face of the global economic recession. Politically, it may bring into question the Western tendency to emphasize the dichotomy between democracy and authoritarianism. Our question then is whether or not there is also an emerging Chinese model in the cultural and educational sense, and how it relates to this dichotomy.

Diversification or Homogenization in Higher Education: A Global Allomorphism Perspective

Competition for scarce resources causes institutions to become more similar because the uniform environmental conditions of competition bring forth similar responses. Consequently, there is a convergence of institutional function structures elsewhere. National higher education systems worldwide have been moving from a specialized regime towards an integrative regime. During the integration process, a hierarchical order begins to emerge, as organizational integration implies standardization, which measures institutions by one single set of criteria and tends to define them by rank or by the score they obtain compared to other institutions. The integrative regime then moves towards a hierarchical regime. In an integrated hierarchical system, research qualifications are usually the essential condition for access to resources and prestige. This has essentially become a worldwide phenomenon. This study attempts to draw on organizational behaviour theories (in particular the resource dependency, the institution...

China’s move to mass higher education in a comparative perspective

This paper analyzes how China has managed to embrace mass higher education in a short timeline, and examines how far this move has followed the existing or established patterns elsewhere through comparing its core aspects with those of four identifiable models of mass higher education: the American model, the Western European model, the Latin American model and the East Asian model. While acknowledging that the current structure of the Chinese higher education system appears to resemble the American in many ways, this paper concludes that it is fundamentally different from the American model, as well as from the Western European and the Latin American models. Largely mirroring the East Asian model, the Chinese approach features a strong sense of ‘state instrumentism’ and is also characterized by integral tensions among its various sectors, which could turn into either positive dynamics for vibrant growth or negative forces leading to serious social justice and equity issues. After enjoying an unprecedented expansion between 1999 and 2006, Chinese higher education has come to a historical juncture to reconsider its success in the light of more collaborative and normative ideologies, such as those grounded in social justice and human potential.

Walking on Two Legs

The last decade witnessed China’s dramatic move to mass higher education. In particular, the year 1999 saw an abrupt jump in new enrolments, with 1.59 million new students, up from 1.08 million in the previous year, or an annual increase of 47.2 percent! The rapid expansion continued until 2004, when higher education enrolment at all levels reached 20 million, registering a four-and-a-half-fold increase from 3.6 million in 1998! After 2004 enrolments continued to rise, but at a relatively slower pace. The number of regular higher education institutions also increased dramatically over the same period of time, from 1,022 in 1998 to 2,263 in 2008, an increase of 121.4 percent.

Peking University – Icon of Cultural Leadership

It is fitting that Peking University (affectionately known as Beida for short) should be first of the portraits of China’s universities in the move to mass higher education because of its unique role in modern Chinese history. In our talks with its leaders, faculty and students, we caught the sense of an institution that is constantly under observation as a kind of cultural icon. From the national leadership down to the families of ordinary people in all parts of China, Beida is always being watched for its response to opportunities, challenges, problems and crises. One of its influential educators, Professor Wang Yongquan, described it as “the conscience of the nation.”

East China Normal University – Education in the Lead

East China Normal University (ECNU) is unique among our twelve case institutions as the only normal university, also the only university in the major coastal metropolis of Shanghai. This chapter thus begins with a brief historical overview as a background for understanding ECNU’s role in the move to mass higher education. From there it looks at the changes in student numbers, curricula, finance and governance over the period from 1990 to 2005. Next some views of the leaders on vision and strategic direction are presented, also a discussion of the major decisions around merger, expansion and international orientation. Finally the perspectives of faculty and students on key issues of concern are summarized. The conclusion seeks to identify the new ethos of the normal university that is being developed in the Chinese context, and the challenges it faces.

A New Typology for Analyzing the Direction of Movement in Higher Education Internationalization

This article proposes a new typology of “inward- and outward-oriented” higher education (HE) internationalization based on the spread of innovations that involve knowledge, culture, HE models, and norms. It reviews existing typologies related to HE internationalization; discusses theories of world system, soft power, and knowledge diplomacy; and utilizes the notion of transcultural diffusion of innovations. As a supplement to existing theories, this new typology is constructed primarily for capturing the currents and dynamics of HE internationalization as they relate to the spread of innovations to analyze newly emerging scenarios. The article applies this new typology to a discussion of real-world cases and tests its viability.

What factors influence the direction of global brain circulation: the case of Chinese Canada Research Chairholders

As part of globalisation, academics have become more mobile and are tempted to move to institutions that have the most favourable research funding and work environment. The university is now viewed as a global magnet for academic talent and a key institution that enhances competitiveness by connecting cities and nations to global flows of knowledge and talent. Then what factors influence and explain the direction of global brain flows? This research intends to shed light on the relative strengths of the various factors that prompted a group of Canada Research Chairholders originating from Mainland China to choose to work in Canadian universities, something that is happening against the backdrop of a gradual shift of the global centre of economic gravity towards Asia. Such a shift finds expression in the academic world as well, so it is particularly interesting to track the views of these CRCs.

Intellectuals, Academic Freedom, and University Autonomy in China

This year marks the centennial anniversary of the Revolution of 1911. Also known as the Xinhai Revolution, it overthrew the last imperial dynasty in China, established a republic, and promoted democracy. However, even with the passing of one hundred years, academic freedom and university autonomy are still viewed as problematic in China, when benchmarked against Western norms and values. To a large extent, Chinese universities remain the state’s educational and research arm for national development. Compared to their Western counterparts, Chinese universities appear to be more responsive to national and local development needs, embracing a close articulation between institutional strategic planning and national and local development plans. In fact, the majority of Chinese scholars appear to be content with—and even actively and deliberately seek—a high level of articulation between their academic pursuits and the national interest, rather than seeking to be independent and functioning as a critical voice in national or global affairs.