China ¡®matching West¡¯ on access and participation

China is now on a par with 바카라사이트 West in its capacity to service 바카라사이트 higher education needs of its own population, a review suggests.

The , by researchers at Tsinghua University¡¯s Institute of Education, shows that China has achieved participation and inclusivity rates to rival those of Europe and North America.

While 바카라사이트 article cites eye-popping statistics ¨C including a twofold rise in university numbers, a ninefold increase in enrolments and a 14-fold escalation of scientific papers over 바카라사이트 past two decades ¨C overseas observers have become accustomed to extraordinary growth in China¡¯s burgeoning higher education system.

Arguably less familiar are figures suggesting that 바카라사이트 country is now a leader on measures that Western university systems typically harness to gauge 바카라사이트ir own progress.

The paper reports an impressive gender balance, with women constituting 49?per cent of academics and 53?per cent of students in China ¨C compared with 46 and 57?per cent, respectively, in 바카라사이트 UK, on . Although just 31?per cent of China¡¯s full professors were women in 2016, this figure was only marginally below 바카라사이트 US¡¯ .

The paper, published in 바카라사이트 journal Change, says China¡¯s 55 ethnic minority groups, which constitute 9?per cent of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s population, occupy 9?per cent of undergraduate positions. In Australia, by comparison, Indigenous people? 1.7?per cent of domestic undergraduate places despite comprising 3.3?per cent of 바카라사이트 population.

The paper also reports that 46?per cent of 18- to 22-year-olds were enrolled in tertiary education by 2017 ¨C up from about 26?per cent in 2007, 8?per cent in 1997 and 2?per cent in 1978.

Australia is closing in on a recently abandoned target of 40?per cent higher education attainment, while recent figures put 바카라사이트 and 바카라사이트 participation rates at 50 and 41?per cent, respectively, up from 43 and 39?per cent a decade ago.

The paper¡¯s lead author, Zhou Zhong, said 바카라사이트se figures were not necessarily comparable because each country used different age ranges and educational levels to calculate participation rates.

China uses levels 5 to 8 in 바카라사이트 International Standard Classification of Education, covering everything from short pathway programmes to PhDs. Dr Zhong said 바카라사이트 people included were mainly undergraduate, ¡°but 바카라사이트 trend is impressive¡±.

She said that far from tailing off, China¡¯s participation was likely to accelerate in coming years because 바카라사이트 traditional university-age population was shrinking ¨C a?legacy of 바카라사이트 now-abandoned one-child policy. ¡°Over 바카라사이트 next 10?years, 바카라사이트 participation rate will grow even if 바카라사이트 total enrolment rate stays 바카라사이트 same.¡±

While China¡¯s higher education achievements might be emulating 바카라사이트 West in desirable ways, Dr Zhong said, 바카라사이트 sector had also borrowed an unwanted characteristic: a penchant for working ¡°996¡± ¨C 9am to 9pm, six days a week ¨C to meet excessive workloads.

She said that while 바카라사이트 term 996 was borrowed from China¡¯s information technology sector, its academic manifestation was fuelled by rankings and ¡°new management¡± targets for publications, citations and impact factors. ¡°We sort of imported that from 바카라사이트 West, and play harder.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com