Since the launch of the “Double First-Class Initiative" (i.e., turning a group of top Chinese universities and disciplines into world-class ones), selected top universities in the country have enjoyed massive injections of funding from central and local governments. Many lament that other less prestigious universities that have failed to be included in the program are going to be left in the dust.
These concerns are unfounded. Firstly, the Double First-Class Initiative has not been implemented at the expense of other support programs for higher education; in fact, over the same period the MOE has invested an equal, if not larger, amount of resources in supporting and improving higher education institutions in central and western provinces. Secondly, in accordance with the Overarching Program for Developing Top Chinese Universities and Disciplines into World-Class Ones introduced by the State Council, the list of recipient universities is not fixed, and is constantly subject to revision. Existing beneficiaries may be taken off the list if they are found to be failing certain requirements during evaluations, while universities that could not meet the necessary criteria initially can be eligible if they show they have introduced adequate reforms and better governance.
As per the Program for Revitalizing Higher Education in Central and Western Provinces 2012-2020 introduced by the MOE in conjunction with other ministries, RMB 10 billion has been invested in 100 universities from 23 less developed provinces to enable them to expand enrollment, build better colleges and faculties, and increase spending on research. As well as financial aid, other assistance in the form of technical support and sharing of expertise and favorable policies is also being provided for these universities to help close the gap with their counterparts located in more prosperous coastal provinces.
China’s ambition to become a world power in education will not materialize without a centralized master strategy that underpins a coordinated and balanced development of all universities, local colleges and vocational education institutions across the country. The Double First-Class Initiative and other support programs are part of this strategy.
Universities that have not yet been included in any of these programs have not been left in the wayside: they are simply on the “waiting list” for MOE support. These establishments should not be discouraged into inaction; rather, the prospect of future support should spur them to find ways now to meet local economic and social needs as best as they can, and embrace reforms to reinvent themselves, including adoption of best practices created by leading Chinese or international universities.
(Abridged comments made by Wang Dingming, associate research fellow at the Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center under the MOE)
