Building a Harmonious Society Requires Higher Education Reach its Full Potential    

                                       Wang Baohua

Abstract:

Building harmonious society can never be achieved without harmonious development of higher education, during which many unharmonious phenomenon are very likely to take place. With a view to current configuration and development situation of higher education in China, we may conclude that locally-run higher education institutions are the most vulnerable group among all, and they are required to assume responsibilities and missions much beyond their practical ability, whose role in narrowing the knowledge gap among different areas, however, couldn’t be emphasized too much. In executing the due functions of these local institutions, we’d better arrange our work on two aspects. First, it is the government’s job to create a fair environment for competition by transforming its role from manipulator to decision-maker. Second, academic research achievements should not be considered as the only criteria when rating a university. Various indicators must be included in the higher education rating system. Third, resources need to be distributed to institutions based on their performance in stead of on how many teachers they have, which is intended to encourage institutions at all levels to strive for the best. Locally-run higher education institutions, therefore, should fulfill following tasks: finding their proper positions, rooting in market rather than being centrally controlled by government, mapping out their own development strategies, shifting from self-centrism to altruism, assuming the due role of local higher education institutions, becoming more market-oriented rather than focusing only on the pursuit, development and promotion of knowledge.