Abstract
ABSTRACT This article examines the politics of higher education in China drawing on empirical data collected from three elite universities listed in the ‘Double First-Class University Initiative’. We investigate how a ‘signal – response’ mechanism, in which the country’s top leaders signal broad policy goals and subordinate officials respond, works in China’s higher education arena. To address the uncertainties caused by vague signals and avoid blame for failure to fulfil policy goals, a strategy involving a gradual downward increase of implementation pressure within the bureaucratic hierarchy, termed cengceng jiama (层层加码), has been adopted. Universities and their faculties/departments now establish their own ‘up-or-leave’ systems to remove underperforming researchers, apply more stringent criteria when assessing faculty members’ publication rates, and discriminate against domestically trained PhDs when hiring. Consequently, faculty members, especially those in the younger generation, often experience high levels of anxiety, insecurity and inequality, which can hinder their development as scholars.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.