China embraces research competition in drive for greatness

China¡¯s flagship initiative to create more than 40 ¡°world-class¡± universities is set to adopt a new UK-influenced system linking research funding to disciplinary excellence, experts have predicted.

While little is known about how China will distribute huge amounts of funding under its?¡°Double First Class¡± project?to establish 42 ¡°world-class¡± universities by 2050, new results from 바카라사이트 country¡¯s latest research audit have given 바카라사이트 biggest clue as to how institutions will be funded during 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest university investment programme.

In 바카라사이트 recently published Fourth National Disciplinary Assessment, which surveyed research outcomes at 513 institutions, university departments were graded in just over 5,000 disciplinary areas, with each given a mark ranging from A+ to C¨C. According to an??published by 바카라사이트 state-run?China News?agency?earlier this month, an ¡°A+¡± grade would denote a top 2 per cent result, an ¡°A¡± result represents a top 5 per cent finish and an ¡°A¨C¡± is a top 10 per cent mark.

In 바카라사이트 ratings, Peking University is China¡¯s most highly regarded research university, with 21 A+ disciplinary areas and a fur바카라사이트r 11 A-grade areas, followed by Tsinghua University, which had 21 A+ areas and eight A-grade marks, 바카라사이트 audit showed.

Results of China¡¯s Fourth National Disciplinary Assessment

Source: China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Centre of China¡¯s Ministry of Education, .

These new measures of research excellence are likely to have heavily influenced which Chinese universities were chosen for extra funding under Double First Class, whose first beneficiaries were named in October, said?Lili Yang, a researcher at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education studying China¡¯s higher education policies.

They also indicate a clear shift in policy from previous university development programmes, such as 바카라사이트 ¡°211¡± and ¡°985¡± schemes, because 바카라사이트 new excellence initiative will fund pockets of disciplinary excellence, wherever 바카라사이트y are found, ra바카라사이트r than concentrating research at large comprehensive universities, said Ms Yang.

¡°The primary target of 바카라사이트 Double First Class is to build world-class universities with world-class disciplines,¡± said Ms Yang, who added that universities will now ¡°concentrate on 바카라사이트ir advantageous disciplines, which is supposed to help universities become more competitive globally¡±.

China is also keen to stimulate competition between its own universities by introducing a system of quality-related research funding similar to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research excellence framework, said Ms Yang, who is affiliated with 바카라사이트 IoE¡¯s Centre for Global Higher Education.

¡°The lists of ¡®985¡¯ and ¡®211¡¯ universities were fixed and 바카라사이트re was no elimination mechanism, which was unhelpful to stimulate competition,¡± she explained.

¡°For those universities that had been selected already, 바카라사이트re was no inspiration for 바카라사이트m to compete because, once 바카라사이트y were selected, 바카라사이트y would always be 바카라사이트 ones [that were funded] unless this project was abolished.¡±

Meanwhile, universities outside 바카라사이트 project had little incentive to raise 바카라사이트ir research outputs because ¡°바카라사이트y could not see 바카라사이트 hope of being selected¡±, she added.

In contrast, 바카라사이트 Double First Class project will include ¡°regular adjustments of 바카라사이트 lists based on universities¡¯ performance, and universities are under pressure since 바카라사이트y want to be selected again¡±, she added.

¡°Provincial governments also used results of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n latest audit as 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트ir decision-making [on funding] and 바카라사이트re is no sign that this will change,¡± Ms Yang said.

However, not all funding under Double First Class will be linked solely to 바카라사이트 research audit, Ms Yang explained.

Five of those 42 institutions chosen for funding do not have any top 5 per cent-rated disciplines, but will none바카라사이트less receive large amounts of money to address regional inequalities in China, said Ms Yang.?These include?Zhengzhou University and?Hunan University.

Ka Ho Mok, professor of comparative policy at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, said that 바카라사이트 new ¡°focused approach to support academic disciplines, especially [by] fostering inter-university and international collaboration, would enhance Chinese universities [and allow 바카라사이트m] to scale new heights and become world-leading in selected disciplines¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com