Independent College: A New Exploration in the Development of Higher Education in China

Author: Lai Maode, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: This book is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter explores the origin and historical evolution of the college system, introducing various forms of the college system both domestically and internationally. The second chapter analyzes the historical context of the emergence of secondary colleges in China and the basic conditions of their generation and development before the release of the "Several Opinions." The third chapter evaluates the controversies in the higher education community regarding secondary colleges, studies the necessity of their development and the problems encountered during their growth, introduces the relevant regulations on pilot independent colleges in the "Several Opinions" and the subsequent cleanup and restructuring efforts by various regions, and discusses the overall educational characteristics of new-generation independent colleges and the government's policy orientation toward them. The fourth, fifth, and sixth chapters introduce the background, process, educational characteristics, and social impact of Zhejiang University's efforts to promote higher education massification in its region, driven by the spirit of pragmatism and institutional innovation. The university integrated its high-quality educational resources with the abundant resources of local governments and relevant social forces to establish Zhejiang University City College and Zhejiang University Ningbo Institute of Technology. These chapters detail the specific educational philosophies, management systems, teaching and research organizational structures, faculty development and student development strategies, fundamental educational characteristics, and future development plans of these two independent colleges. The seventh chapter analyzes the advantages of independent colleges compared to public universities and private colleges, studies the main factors influencing the development of independent colleges and their future prospects, and proposes principles and scenarios for the further development of independent colleges in China.