Chinese Research Universities Research Articles

Exploring influential factors in Chinese engineering professors' industrial experience: A big data and CV analysis approach

There is a long-standing criticism in academic circles about the inadequacy of engineering industrial experience for professors in Chinese research universities, but there is a lack of analysis of the manifestations and root causes of the problem. The research aims to contribute meaningful insights into the factors influencing the industrial experience of engineering professors in Chinese research universities, facilitating informed policymaking and fostering collaborative efforts between academia and industry. This paper examines Chinese engineering professors' industrial experience using big data mining, computing, modeling, and image rendering. The data was collected from the publicly available CVs from the websites of various Chinese universities which contains data on colleges and universities across China and analyzed engineering professors' professional trajectories and industrial experience using the method of resume analysis. A nonlinear logistic regression model is fitted to determine the impact of multiple independent variables on the probability of engineering industrial experience among professors, with logit transformation and maximum likelihood estimation. The results show that a low percentage of engineering university professors in Chinese research universities have had industry employment after obtaining their Ph.D. degrees. The regression model indicates that gender, level of inbreeding, overseas study experience, university level, and birth age significantly affect the engineering experience of professors. This study proposes several policy recommendations based on comparative analysis and its research. The study's findings are critical for policymakers to create policies that promote industrial partnerships as a fundamental aspect of the professional development of engineering faculty and for further research in the field.

College peer effects on learning behaviors in synchronous online courses

This study contributes to the growing body of research on peer effects in educational contexts by examining the peer effects on learning behaviors, which are pivotal in understanding how peers impact academic achievements, especially in online education. Drawing upon an administrative dataset and a learning behavior dataset from an online education platform at a Chinese research university in 2020, we employ fixed effects and dynamic models to investigate the peer effects on undergraduates' class absence. Notably, we further consider partially overlapping networks of peers and utilize the class absence of “classmates of classmates” (who are not one's own classmates) as instrumental variables for peers' absence to address potential estimation biases. Our findings reveal significantly positive effects of classmates' class absence on individuals' both full-class and part-class absence in synchronous online courses. Additionally, heterogeneity analyses show that males, freshmen and sophomore students are more susceptible to peer influence and exhibit greater influence on their peers, and peer effects are stronger in subject required courses, courses with larger class sizes, courses with mandatory attendance policies, and among students in the same department or grade level.

Insufficient Academic Experience or Excessive Family Responsibility: Why do Female Faculty in Chinese Research Universities Publish Less than Male Faculty?

Insufficient Academic Experience or Excessive Family Responsibility: Why do Female Faculty in Chinese Research Universities Publish Less than Male Faculty?

The effects of class attendance on academic performance: Evidence from synchronous courses during Covid-19 at a Chinese research university

Using 13,584 observations of 4772 undergraduate students enrolled in 523 online classes offered synchronously at a research university in China, and using online-learning platform data and administrative data, this paper examines the impacts of class attendance on academic performance. Based on student-level and course-level fixed effects models with a unique set of student-course level control variables, this paper finds class attendance to have a significantly positive impact on academic performance. This effect is larger for low-performing students and smaller for students in courses with larger class sizes. The above findings survive a number of robustness checks, including a bounding technique, restricting sample to compulsory courses and limiting variation in attendance caused by whole day absence.

The paradox analysis and functional mechanism between R&D efficiency and transformation effect: Evidence from key universities in China

To elucidate the paradox between high R&D efficiency and low transformation effect in China, we exploit this setting via two-stage DEA approach to calculate knowledge production efficiency (KPE) and knowledge transformation effect (KTE) at different stages and under different motivations. Using panel data of key universities in China, we conduct empirical analysis with the Fractional Logit model and find that: (1) The innovation motivation, which is the distinction between quantity-orientation and quality-orientation, is the root cause of this paradox; (2) The paradox can be alleviated by government stimulation by providing targeted financial support to high-quality research; (3) Within the imperfect regional market environment and system, the government has greater sway over Chinese research universities than the market does, but both have a limited impact on promoting the conversion of high-quality research results into actual productivity. Our study challenges the conventional wisdom that efficiency and effectiveness have a positive relationship and supports the critical role that research motivations play at different stages of the innovation value chain. It also adds to the body of knowledge on goal-setting theory and the innovation value chain.

Understanding university-industry collaboration from the perspective of proximity: insights from a case study in China

ABSTRACT Universities are increasingly considered as crucial actors for innovation and regional development through university-industry collaborations. Extant research suggests that the impact of knowledge transfer is largely related to the multi-dimensional proximities between universities and knowledge recipients. However, majority of them approached the issue of proximity by treating collaborations between universities and their industrial partners as geographically static. Our case study looks at one Chinese research university which adopted an innovative outreach solution by setting up off-campus institutional arrangements to mitigate the problem caused by the geographical constraint, exploring how such entrepreneurial effort can pose an impact on the various dimensions of proximity. By doing so, this paper aims to enrich the knowledge of university entrepreneurship, elucidate the dynamic nature of proximity in the context of university-industry collaborations and draw practical implications for the promotion of such collaborations at large.

The Implementation of “Internationalization at Home” In a Chinese Research University: An Empirical Study from the Student Perspective

The disruption of traditional internationalization of higher education due to the pandemic has arisen more awareness of internationalization at home, an effective pathway surpassing spatial mobility. This study aims at depicting the implementation of internationalization at home in one of the top Chinese research universities and revealing the influential factors that affect students’ participation in international-related activities. This study conducted online questionnaires and adopted 174 high-quality responses. The results show that: (1) students’ global cognition and the university’s international atmosphere and resources have a significant positive impact on students’ participation in international activities. (2) their global competence and the understanding and basic knowledge of internationalization at home have a non-significant but positive effect. (3) however, students’ global awareness and teachers' global competence have a non-significant negative impact on students’ behavior. Based on these results, the university still needs to find ways to convert students' enthusiasm into actual participation, and a higher level of internationalized faculty is highlighted.

Supporting Academic Women’s Careers: Male and Female Academics’ Perspectives at a Chinese Research University

Supporting Academic Women’s Careers: Male and Female Academics’ Perspectives at a Chinese Research University

Exploring academics’ beliefs about interdisciplinary research collaboration and their influences on collaborative practices: a mixed-method study in China

ABSTRACT This mixed-method study explored academics’ beliefs about interdisciplinary research collaboration (IDRC) and their influences on collaborative practices in a Chinese research university. Exploratory interviews with nine academics were first conducted to examine their beliefs about IDRC. The findings revealed that the academics’ beliefs about IDRC fell into six broad themes, that is, IDRC: helps better address research problems; helps achieve innovative results; helps expand new academic fields; is challenging which requires crossing boundaries among disciplines; is a gradual process that takes plenty of time and effort; and is not necessary as some research problems can be addressed through within-disciplinary research. Based on the interview findings, a questionnaire was developed to examine the influences of academics’ beliefs about IDRC on their self-reported collaborative practices and then administered to 659 academics in the university. Results showed that four of the six beliefs significantly and positively affected self-reported collaborative practice; one belief significantly and negatively affected self-reported collaborative practice; and one belief had no significant effect on self-reported collaborative practice. Differences existed among the academics of different disciplines regarding the influence of their beliefs about IDRC on self-reported collaborative practice. The practical implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Gender inequality and bias in Chinese universities: perceptions of male and female academics

ABSTRACT Gender inequality and bias persists in academia worldwide despite remarkable progress in recent decades. This issue is underexplored in the context of Chinese academia. Drawing on 40 semi-structured interviews with male and female academics at a Chinese research university, this paper assesses the extent and manifestations of gender inequality, bias, and discrimination in the Chinese academic profession. The findings show that most of the male academics had gender-blind perspectives and believed that Chinese academia has an egalitarian structure that is fairer to women than other sectors of activity, and allows them to attain career success. Concurrently, some were suspicious of female academics’ success and explained it based on sexual innuendo. Nonetheless, a considerable number of male academics felt privileged compared to women, explaining this privilege in terms of social and biological factors. The female academics mostly perceived no overt discrimination in academia but described subtle discrimination and biases in which gender could shape opportunities and career advancement. Our findings highlight differences in the perceptions of male and female academics, the prevalence of male power in academia, and micropolitical practices that (re)produce gender inequality.

Performance evaluation of Chinese research universities: A parallel interactive network DEA approach with shared and fixed sum inputs

In recent years, Chinese government and universities have been striving to improve the quality of higher education according to the continuously updated university performance evaluation. The university performance evaluation has played an important role in education reform. As an essential function of university, the research activities show some particular features in China. On the one hand, scientific research activities have parallel interactive network structures. On the other hand, university, as centrally governed institution, faces limited financial support, implying a fixed-sum constraint on government grant funding. However, previous studies have not developed an appropriate method to address the above features, which may lead to biased empirical results. In order to fill the gap of previous studies, this paper intends to provide a novel data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach by considering the shared fixed-sum input in the network DEA model. We first divide the scientific research activity into two sub-systems which interact with each other, and the government grant funding as a shared fixed-sum input is consumed for the two sub-systems. Then, considering the effect of shared fixed-sum input on performance, the minimum amount of input adjustments is calculated to identify the common equilibrium efficient frontier, and the total efficiency is obtained by weighting the sum of sub-system efficiency. Finally, our models are empirically applied to assess the performance of Chinese universities. The main findings show that the overall efficiency of Chinese research universities varies widely, and then some meaningful recommendations for central policymakers are proposed.

Open Access with Chinese Characteristics: Understanding Recent History and Current Practice via Qualitative Interviews at a Large Chinese Research University

Chinese scholars, administrators, and librarians possess nuanced understandings of what defines open access (OA) in China and the barriers that make wider adoption of OA difficult. When we say “OA” in the United States, we imply a complex set of underlying assumptions tied to the history and practice of scholarship. Saying “OA” in China brings with it a similarly complex set of assumptions that may not be commensurate with the OA that we speak of, and such one-to-one translation may not be possible or desirable given the unique historical, political, and linguistic differences between the world’s two largest producers and consumers of scholarship. Through a careful analysis of our participants’ observations and a review of the history and context of Chinese academic institutions, we posit that “OA with Chinese characteristics” describes a set of possibilities and constraints that determine how Chinese academics experience both the theoretical project and the practical distribution method we commonly call OA. Although these multiple understandings of OA may not converge on a single shared meaning, we can endeavor to understand one another better in the service of creating and sharing knowledge.

Cultural reproduction or cultural mobility: The influence of individual characteristics and student engagement on academic achievement of the first generation college students in Chinese Research University

With the rapid development of higher education in China, the first-generation college students in China's research universities are gradually becoming the minority .Based on a sample of 5524 students at a research university in China, this study examines the impact of family institutional cultural capital on academic achievement of undergraduates, as well as the moderating effect of individual characteristics and student engagement. The study finds no significant difference between the first-generation college students and non-first-generation college students in grade point average but a significant difference in graduate education opportunities. Compared with non-first-generation college students, being a minority in college and student-student interaction have greater negative influence on first-generation students’ academic achievement, while academic activities participation has a positive impact. The analysis results show that the first-generation college students in Chinese research universities are still at a disadvantage in terms of academic achievement that requires comprehensive ability, but this cannot be simply be attributed to cultural reproduction. Student engagement still plays a role in promoting cultural mobility, and the importance of institutional cultural capital varies by the type and stage of achievement measured.

Knowledge Map of Soil Nutrient Migration Analysis Based on WOS (Web of Science) Database

It is important to understand the research trends and hotspots of global soil nutrient migration and control. Based on the core collection of WOS (Web of Science), citespace knowledge map analysis tool was used to analyze the number of publications, cooperation networks, disciplines, research hotspots and frontier trends on nutrient migration in soil. The results showed that: the number of publications on the study of soil nutrient migration showed a good growth from 1990 to 2021. 173 countries had cooperative relationships. The number of articles published in the United States and China was significantly higher than that in other countries, while Chinese Academy of Sciences was the institution with the largest number of publications. It was a comprehensive system that permeates with agriculture, environmental science, botany and other disciplines. The research of nutrient migration in soil mainly focused on the measures of microbial community in different land types to promote nutrient transformation, improve soil fertility and reduce nutrient loss. In the future, the research trends will be the management measures of soil nutrient loss, the relationship between the change of soil nutrient and plant community diversity, and the remediation of agricultural contaminated soil. Through the above analysis, there was an overall understanding of soil nutrient migration. The research on nutrient migration may continue to increase in the future. It is suggested that Chinese research institutions, teams and universities need to strengthen international cooperation, and speed up their integration with the international community.

Nexus of Emotional Intelligence and Learning Outcomes: A Cross-Country Study of China and Pakistan Higher Educational Institutes

The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate the effects of emotional intelligence (EI) on learning outcomes (e.g., social, cognitive, and self-growth outcomes) and satisfaction with the university experience of academics and administrative staff at Chinese and Pakistani research universities. This study also investigates the mediation of self-directed learning (personal autonomy, personal responsibility, and personal growth) and knowledge management processes (KMPs) concerning the relationship between EI and learning outcomes. Moreover, this study explores the relationship between learning outcomes and creative performance (creative self-efficacy and leadership/supervisor support). The survey method was considered appropriate for the data collection and was completed simultaneously through paper and electronic mediums. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method with a measurement assessment, structural assessment, mediation, and multi-group analysis was applied to a sample of 729 academics and administrative staff from Chinese and Pakistani research universities. A few dissimilarities surfaced with regard to EI and learning outcomes while evaluating the higher education institutions (HEIs) from both countries. Moreover, an indirect relation between EI and learning outcomes was established via self-directed learning and KMPs. Lastly, the intended direct statistical association between learning outcomes and creative performance was also documented. This study may serve as an initiative to equate and differentiate EI in relation to learning outcomes and creative performance among higher education professionals in China and Pakistan. The considered framework is novel and supports both EI and learning outcomes while adhering to the perceived value of the two adjacent regions.

Leading to enhance university faculty members’ positive working attitudes: the mediating roles of research self-efficacy and job stress

ABSTRACT Academic leaders at managerial universities have been confronted with significant challenges of recruiting and sustaining faculty members who are both committed to their work and satisfied with it. This study investigated the mediating effect of research self-efficacy and job stress on the relationship between transformational leadership and working attitudes. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 1,498 faculty members in total from 26 Chinese research universities. The results indicated the significant positive impact of academic leaders’ transformational leadership on the positive working attitudes of Chinese university faculty members. They also indicated both positive and negative mediating effects of university faculty members’ research self-efficacy and perceived job stress on the relationship between transformational leadership and working attitudes.

Students’ Entrepreneurial Identity Construction: Role and Social Identity Influences

Identity directly impacts how university students behave and make decisions in entrepreneurial practice. Therefore, it is significant to explore the factors influencing the identity construction of student-entrepreneurs to understand how processes are internalized by students, which may then affect their entrepreneurial identity. This article interrogates the formation and transition of the entrepreneurial identity of student-entrepreneurs in a Chinese research university. This paper argues that identity formation is a dynamic and nonlinear process where both role and social identities are involved in its development. Factors that would promote the desired identity formation would include, among others, a tolerant atmosphere across universities, integrating identity issues into the process of entrepreneurship education, and providing university-wide support for entrepreneurship which will be beneficial to improving and sustaining entrepreneurial identity among students.

Participation, academic influences and interactions: A comparison of Chinese and U.S. research universities on ResearchGate

ResearchGate (RG) is an academic social networking (ASN) site that is used worldwide for scholarly communication. This study examines RG users from 21 top Chinese research universities and 61 U.S. research universities from three research activity levels to identify the differences in participation, interactions, and academic influences between their affiliated institutions on this ASN platform. The implications on scholarly communication and evaluation using altmetrics across nations are discussed.

Principal Investigator’ Perceptions of Effective Academic Leadership in Chinese Research Institutions and Universities

Academic leadership is considered a key factor in university and research institute development. In a competitive environment, the role of academic leadership has become increasingly important. At present, China is committed to building world-class universities and advanced research institutes, while academic leadership is one of the key factors. Thus, what is the ideal academic leadership in China’s institutional environment? What professional qualities should principal investigators have? This study investigates these issues with in-depth interviews of six principal investigators. The finding shows that the definition of academic leadership by principal investigators refers to academic expertise, assigning the team member, setting a direction, academic social skills, managing team member relationships, boosting team morale, and teamwork skills. Furthermore, academic expertise is often supposed to be more important than other abilities. In terms of competence, the definitions of leadership by Chinese principal investigators and the literature on Western academic leadership are similar.

An assessment of students' emotional intelligence, learning outcomes, and academic efficacy: A correlational study in higher education.

The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate the effects of Emotional Intelligence (EI) on learning outcomes (social, cognitive, self-growth outcomes and satisfaction with the university experience) of students in Chinese research universities. This study further examines the mediating role of student trust in teachers (emotional and cognitive learning) and learning orientation (commitment to learning) in the relationship between EI and learning outcomes. This intent of this study was to examine the direct effects of learning outcomes on students’ academic efficacy (cognitive skills and standardised tests). This study used a sample frame of 454 students from research universities in China. The relationships were tested through the partial least squares’ structural equation modelling method. The results reveal that EI has a significant impact on learning outcomes. Furthermore, an indirect relation between EI and learning outcomes is established through student trust in teachers and in the learning orientation. The direct relation between learning outcomes and student academic efficacy is also established. There is a lack of studies that investigate the relationship of EI, student trust in teachers, learning orientation, learning outcomes and student academic efficacy. This is one of the initial research studies that not only empirically examine the interface of EI and learning outcomes of students of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) but offers insights into the existing literature by concurrent investigation of the mediating role of student trust in teachers and in the learning orientation in fundamental association, while explaining the association between learning outcomes and students’ better academic efficacy.