Educating innovative graduates for the Chinese economy Higher education reform in China

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Educating innovative graduates for the Chinese
economy-Higher education reform in China
Mette Kjær Petersen, PhD Candidate, IU
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Key arguments

• How higher education reform is a central part of
  Chinas larger modernization process
• Human resources for economic development
• How the meaning of policy concepts are
  constructed
• Negotiation of global concepts local interests
• Shaped by translation into practice
• The research
• Institutional change for development
• Reform process ideas, regulation, practice

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Higher education policy development

• 1978 Deng Education geared toward national eco
  dev
• 1985 Decision on education reform
• 1993 Blueprint of education reform and
  development
• 1995 Revitalize China through science and
  education
• 1998 Higher education law
• 1999 Higher education revitalization action plan

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Higher education reform

• Mass education quality education
• Expansion 1990 3.4, 2002 15
• Structural
• Administrative
• Financial
• Pedagogical Modernization of teaching methods

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Modernization and globalization

• Central part of Chinas modernization project
• Qualified people (rencai) needed to modernize
  China
• Fostering a New Type of Socialist-Minded People
  Suited to Modernization in the 21st Century
• Part of the globalization discourse
• Innovation necessary for being a successful
  global actor
• Higher Education Law, article 5 specialized
  talents with innovative spirits and practical
  capability
• Innovation creative/productive, scientific
  adaptable
• Space to civilize population quality
• hardworking, modest, moral integrity, strong
  discipline

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Modernization and globalization 2

• Quality education in an All-round way
• Population quality versus employability
• Global models liberal theories from 1920s vs.
  traditional deeds
• Indicator of modernization and power
• Progressive teaching - Rote learning backward -
  student-centered and practical modern
• Platform for testing new reforms

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The case XUFE

• Provincial university. East China
• Founded in 1956 as a grain school
• 2003 became Finance and Economics university
• 20,000 students
• Development of educational degrees, research and
  international cooperation - 20 foreign teachers
• Education standard of teachers PhD degree
• Facilities beautiful campus, well equipped

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The innovative business graduate

• XUFE strategy innovative talents with
  innovative spirits and practical experiences
• Focus adaptable and practical skills needed in
  the LM
• The innovative graduate as an American-Chinese
• Comprehensive ability Individualized, courageous
  and open knowledgeable, modest and hard-working
• Innovation and creativity popular words
  legitimacy
• Not used no consensus
• Students just slogans

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Teaching reform strategy - quality education

• Goal Individualized teaching The students
  could learn less and think more (President)
• Active participation government discourse
• Deep reform from teacher-centered to
  student-centered learning
• New roles knowledge guiding and knowledge
  construction
• Relationship interactive rather than
  hierarchical
• Strengthen knowledge of real-life problems and
  practical skills
• Balance American and Chinese teaching methods

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Teaching reform initiatives

• Lectures (interactive and bi-lingual)
• ICT (PPT, search device, E-forum for
  discussion)
• Laboratories
• Extra-curricular activities (now for creative
  skills)
• Competitions
• Internships
• Self-study
• Research

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Case interactive lectures

• Aim case study and class discussion
  draw their own conclusions
• Case study adapted to existing teaching style
• Class discussion an example of decoupling
• Interaction in class rejected by teachers and
  leaders
• of students
• Difficult to change the thoughts of teachers

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No fundamental change in teaching style

• Exam structure
• Elite and hierarchical thoughts
• Mind control
• Teacher-centered education with modern components
• Roles and relationships reproduced
• Innovative graduates Practical, adaptive,
  hard-working, problem-solving graduates with a
  solid knowledge of the field
• Critical mind-set and independence no

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Prospects for future change

• Tension between the two styles
• Values of what is efficient and appropriate are
  constantly renegotiated
• Identities are reconstructed
• Push from internationalization at XUFE
• Global discourse might shift