研究型大学经费配置如何促进学术产出——基于2007—2018年间部属高校面板数据的直接效应和中介效应分析

How Research University Funding Allocation Enhances Academic Output:Analysis of Direct and Mediating Effects Based on Panel Data of HEIs Directly under the Ministry of Education from 2007 to 2018

已有相关研究多集中于探讨经费收入与学术产出的关系,但经费无法直接转化为学术研究成果,对于这一过程的“黑箱”还未有明确认识。本研究尝试分析经费支出对大学发展的影响机制并优化经费配置路径。基于2007—2018年间58所教育部直属高校的校际面板数据,研究采用逐步法和双向固定效应模型分析了经费支出对学术产出的影响程度与作用机制。研究发现:从直接效应来看,经费支出规模对学术产出具有显著正向影响;就中介效应而言,经费支出通过专任教师、硕博士生、固定资产和课题等路径实现学术产出水平的提升,其中正高级教师、硕博士生和课题项目发挥着更大的中介效应。基于此,政府可继续增加对研究型大学的经费投入,并鼓励其多渠道筹措经费;政府还要减少经费使用限制,鼓励大学优化经费配置路径和方式,将更多经费用于教师、硕博士生等人员支出,并设置更多课题项目,从而在遵循高等教育发展规律的基础上,提高经费配置效率,为提升高水平研究型大学建设水平提供实证数据、理论依据和政策参照。

Existing related research mostly focuses on the relationship between funding income and academic output.However,funding cannot be directly converted into academic research outcomes,and the"black box"of the process has not yet been clearly understood.The research attempts to analyze the impact mechanism of funding expenditure on university development and optimize the path of funding allocation.Based on the inter-school panel data of 58 higher education institutions directly under the Ministry of Education from 2007 to 2018,the study uses a stepwise method and a two-way fixed effect model to analyze the degree of impact and mechanism of funding on academic output.Key findings are summarized as follows:from the perspective of direct effect,the scale of funding expenditure has a significant positive impact on academic output;as far as the mediating effect is concerned,the scale of funding expenditure enhances the level of academic output through paths such as full-time teachers,graduate students,fixed assets and projects,among which teachers with senior professional titles,graduate students and projects exert a greater mediating effect.Based on the aforementioned findings,the government may continue to increase investment in research universities and encourage them to raise funds through multiple channels;the government also need to reduce restrictions on the use of funds,and encourage universities to optimize resource allocation paths and methods,increase personnel expenditures and set up more projects,so as to enhance the efficiency of funding allocation on the basis of following the laws of higher education development,and provide empirical data,theoretical basis and policy reference for the development of high-level research universities.