History and Reality of the Chinese Model of Higher Education Development from the Perspective of University Mergers

Abstract

The authors of the article have made an attempt to retrace the history and the present state of the Chinese model of higher education development in the county from the perspective of university mergers. The Chinese model with Chinese characteristics adopted in 1952 was determined by the authors as the main line to study the development of higher education in China, which constituted the basis for general research; according to the logic of the development of higher education in China, the stages of development were identified, which include the exploration period, the adjustment period, and the development period. The authors examine, analyze, and describe historical facts and processes connected with the development of higher education reform in China at each stage, such as the formation of higher education reform ideas, the specific contents of the reform, the background of the reform, the internal and external factors affecting the reform, the growth of faculty strength, and the enhancement of international influence. The study presents historical facts and processes typical of each development stage. This paper compiles the historical development of university reform under the Chinese model: the authors analyze the background of the reform in different periods after the foundation of the PRC and introduce the specific contents, effectiveness, and shortcomings of the reform in different periods, focusing on the college merger trend in the 1990s. Summarizing the reform processes in different periods, the relevant experience, and the lessons learnt is helpful to provide reference experience for reforming the country’s higher education in the future.

Keywords

• university merger
• university reform in china
• department adjustment
• management system reform
• off-site education
• world-class universities and first-class disciplines
• chinese model of higher education