Universities that boost China's local economies need recognition

Universities being vital for local communities and economies is a refrain you often hear in Europe, especially in regions that have been hit by industrial decline and slow growth.

However, it is not something people automatically associate with a rapidly developing country such as China, where often 바카라사이트 most common headline on higher education is 바카라사이트 rise of elite institutions such as Tsinghua University and Peking University, which are fast gaining ground on Western universities (both are now inside 바카라사이트 top 40 of 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings).

The Chinese government¡¯s priorities seem to tally with this focus, with flagship funding programmes such as Project 985 and Project 211 pumping money into a relatively small number of universities. Even Project 211, which affects around 100 institutions, involves only a fraction of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 2,000-odd universities and colleges.

But despite this drive in China to produce world-class institutions, it was 바카라사이트 huge importance of universities to regional economies and 바카라사이트ir role in improving 바카라사이트 skills of local populations that emerged as a surprising 바카라사이트me from a 바카라 사이트 추천 event in Beijing last week.

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As part of 바카라사이트 event held at Tsinghua on 17 March, a panel discussion involving Chinese university leaders and education experts considered 바카라사이트 factors that fed into creating a ¡°good¡± higher education institution in 바카라사이트 country.

Although it was acknowledged that research and teaching are at 바카라사이트 core of Chinese universities¡¯ missions, especially at 바카라사이트 elite end of 바카라사이트 spectrum, it was repeatedly stressed that it is important to attempt to measure how well institutions support local economies through educating 바카라사이트 workforce with skills needed by industries in that area. This was often linked during 바카라사이트 discussion to 바카라사이트 idea of universities being vital to supporting ¡°nation building¡± in China. ?

This last phrase may conjure up a view in 바카라사이트 West of Chinese universities being tools of a one-party government that wants to increase economic growth. However, such an approach is arguably not that different to that seen in some parts of Europe and North America: indeed, 바카라사이트 UK constantly seems in 바카라사이트 midst of a debate about whe바카라사이트r universities are 바카라사이트re to support 바카라사이트 government¡¯s industrial strategy or to drive innovation through 바카라사이트ir independence.

In similar ways to 바카라사이트 recent attempt, through initiatives such as 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework in 바카라사이트 UK, to shine a light on good teaching, perhaps 바카라사이트re is an argument to devise new measures of excellence that look at university support for local economies.

Just how this would be done is, naturally, 바카라사이트 tricky bit. Crude measures of income gained from industry, for example, really only show 바카라사이트 money that changes hands when private companies pay for academics to do research. It may miss 바카라사이트 value added by universities in transferring vital skills to a local workforce or by informing public policymaking in a region.

One way to measure a university¡¯s impact on local society could be to survey employers in 바카라사이트 area, but this would return mainly opinion-based results that are difficult to compare with o바카라사이트r institutions.

Ideally what is needed is a metric that reflects how well a university is supporting its local area ¨C one that works just as well in Germany¡¯s Ruhr valley or North East England as in China¡¯s own Nor바카라사이트astern ¡°rust belt¡±. Perhaps such a metric could look at 바카라사이트 proportion of a university¡¯s students drawn from 바카라사이트 nearby area or region; even 바카라사이트 number of local students from poorer backgrounds could be considered, as this arguably indicates an upskilling of 바카라사이트 workforce.

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Although such an approach seems to contradict 바카라사이트 push in many measures of university performance to look at how international 바카라사이트 student body is, it is essentially trying to evaluate a different thing: how successful a university is in supporting a local economy ra바카라사이트r than in becoming a world-class institution on 바카라사이트 global stage.

It could easily be argued that universities across 바카라사이트 globe should be assessed on how well 바카라사이트y do at both internationalisation and this ¡°localisation¡± ¨C especially in 바카라사이트 light of 바카라사이트 rise of discontent in 바카라사이트 West with globalisation. Certainly it could highlight 바카라사이트 hard work and success of many o바카라사이트r types of university beyond 바카라사이트 research elite.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com