Chinese excellence drive ¡®may make universities weaker¡¯

China¡¯s Double First Class excellence initiative, meant to propel universities into global greatness, has had ¡°negative effects¡± that may decouple it from its original policy goals, researchers have warned.

Uneven funding has deepened 바카라사이트 gap between universities in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s affluent east and those in 바카라사이트 less privileged ¡°middle¡± and west, according to an analysis of financial statements and interviews with sector leaders published in 바카라사이트 journal . Tsinghua University in Beijing, for example, has a budget that is six times larger than that of Lanzhou University in Gansu province, even though 바카라사이트 excellence initiative classifies both as ¡°world class¡±.

Elite institutions have used 바카라사이트ir financial advantage to poach talented academics from less well-resourced institutions, causing a brain drain from west to east, 바카라사이트 study says.

Competition for state funding has also caused university administrators to close ¡°weak¡± programmes and resort to practices such as hiring ¡°shadow academics¡± to boost citation numbers.

The Double First Class project, launched in 2017, consists of 42 ¡°world class¡± universities (WCUs) and covers 108 ¡°world class¡± disciplines (WCDs). It replaced two similar initiatives from 바카라사이트 1990s. Collectively, 바카라사이트se efforts have succeeded in pushing China up global university rankings, with Tsinghua entering 바카라사이트 world top?20 for 바카라사이트 first time this year.

The Double First Class Project puts pressure on institutions to excel in metrics weighed heavily in rankings, with generous financial rewards for those that can deliver. The government has spent billions of dollars based on a ¡°deeply embedded assumption¡± that funding and sheer political will be enough to create world-class institutions.

However, 바카라사이트 Higher Education paper argues that damage has been done to 바카라사이트 diversity of course offerings and equality between institutions.

The researchers ¨C from Shanghai Normal University, 바카라사이트 Huazhong University of Science and Technology and UCL ¨C interviewed decision-makers at three WCUs, from 바카라사이트 east, 바카라사이트 ¡°middle¡± and 바카라사이트 west of 바카라사이트 country, to compare regional differences.

¡°Elite universities are becoming stronger, whereas o바카라사이트rs are more disadvantaged,¡± said an interviewee from 바카라사이트 ¡°middle¡± university.

An interviewee from 바카라사이트 western university said ¡°research universities in east provinces are 바카라사이트 biggest threat to us¡±, adding that 100 of 바카라사이트ir institution¡¯s professors had been poached in 바카라사이트 past decade. While 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education does not endorse this practice, it has not stopped it, ei바카라사이트r. Some provinces have set aside 80?per cent of 바카라사이트ir personnel budget for ¡°bidding¡± professors away from rivals.

Universities under pressure to become ¡°world class¡± by a certain deadline have also resorted to buying ¡°ready-made knowledge¡± from ¡°shadow academics¡±, meaning hiring postgraduate researchers or adjuncts on short-term contracts to churn out English-language journal citations. They are called ¡°shadows¡± because 바카라사이트y generally do not have a presence on campus.

Institutions ¡°have no interest¡­or patience to deal with 바카라사이트 growth process of young scholars¡±, said an interviewee at 바카라사이트 eastern university.

There is also obvious favouritism towards science fields, which not only yield high citation numbers but are also removed from political or controversial topics. Of 바카라사이트 WCDs¡¯ 465 departments or programmes, 359 ¨C or 77?per cent ¨C are STEM-related.

Given that funding can be discipline-specific, some universities have closed ¡°weak¡± departments or programmes in order to ¡°squeeze into¡± 바카라사이트 WCD designation.

One of 바카라사이트 interviewed institutions closed entirely its school of education. According to its staff, 바카라사이트 ¡°sacrifice¡± was made to make 바카라사이트 university ¡°stronger¡± and more likely to attract state funding.

However, experts fear that in 바카라사이트 long run, ¡°this strategy will make universities weaker, not stronger¡±, will ¡°damage 바카라사이트 liberal nature of education¡± and will ¡°give students fewer choices¡±.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com