Abstract
China’s expansion in higher education has also given rise to developing university towns in sub-cities to deal with increasing enrollments and contribute to broader socio-economic development. Taking Xiasha University Town in Hangzhou as a case study, this paper adopts a tripartite framework of teaching, research, and service to investigate the role of university towns in human capital and skills development, regional innovation, and social and community services. This paper is the first to systematically evaluate Hangzhou’s largest university town after more than two decades since its development; it also provides a more nuanced and contextual approach to university town developments similar to others in China or broader learning region integrations globally. Documentary research and interviews from relevant stakeholders were utilized to collect data. This study presents the three dimensions contextualized within Xiasha and points to issues that can further improve such through a more efficient resource-sharing scheme, a focused discipline orientation, more significant investments in research and development, and a more active role in community engagement.
Highlights
The role of higher education (HE) for development, exhibited through the massification of the sector alongside the persistent calls for human resource generation, has seen a shift in initiatives for this sector in recent times (Marginson, 2016; Mok, 2016)
The following sections will discuss the tripartite framework of teaching, research and service in learning regions as adapted in this paper through (a) the development of human capital and skills development by (i) widening access and adjusting disciplines and (ii) resource-sharing and mutual credits recognition, (b) regional innovation by (i) research and development (R&D) investment and income of technology transfer and (ii) promoting the collaboration between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and industries, and (c) social and community development by providing social services and access to resources to the community
The formation of university towns has played an essential role in human capital formation in Hangzhou, where HEIs in the City have constantly adapted to the demands of human capital formation through their capacities of widening access and adjusting disciplines through new campus construction, relocation or expansion
Summary
The role of higher education (HE) for development, exhibited through the massification of the sector alongside the persistent calls for human resource generation, has seen a shift in initiatives for this sector in recent times (Marginson, 2016; Mok, 2016). Higher education remains a priority in China, where this sector is expected to complement the country’s needs for development. Expanding the scale of HE in provinces and cities across the country is noted, with the similar aim to promote the transformation of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and strengthen the roles of “university towns” for development (Hu, 2008). To this end, university towns have flourished while increasing urbanization is noted since the country’s Open Door Policy of 1978 (Gu, 2012; Wu et al, 2013)
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