笔谈:中国高等教育普及化——前瞻与应对

Discussion on the Future Challenges in the Coming Stage of Higher Education Universalization in China

面对即将到来的高等教育普及化阶段,高等教育研究界不仅需要从理论层面探讨普及化的特征,更需要从完善大学内部治理、提升现代大学治理水平、转变治理模式和治理惯性思维等层面展开深入研究。随着高等教育规模和入学机会的进一步扩大,学生在年龄、学历及社会阶层等方面呈现多样化趋势,难以适应大学教育以及主动寻求更适合自己的高等教育的学生会大幅增加,学生的流动性会大大提高。面对这种变化趋势,一方面要构建起由多层次、多类型大学构成的高等教育体系;另一方面要建立起能保障各层次、各类型大学间学生合理流动的制度。在走向普及化的进程中,我国高等教育总体上仍面临硬件设施相对落后、教学改革推进缓慢、教育管理制度缺少更新、改革内在动力相对不足等困难局面,高等教育须通过“创造新需求”谋求发展,包括供给平台优质化、供给策略精准化、供给对象多元化、供给途径混合化、供给方式灵活化等方面的内容。进入普及化阶段,国际学生来华接受学历教育的热情和入学机会将持续增加,留学教育的规模、层次、类型、质量都将发生重要变化,我国将成为世界上最主要的留学目的国之一。因此,促进来华留学教育内涵式发展,优化国际学生层次结构、国别结构、科类结构,促进优质国际生源向中国流动迫在眉睫。高等教育普及化阶段,高等教育将成为“人人都能在家庭和工作场所享有的终身教育”,其核心理念将变成“让任何人在任何地方都能接受高等教育”,这必然带来升学群体、入学标准、升学需求和录取方式的变化。普及化阶段学生遴选和招生就业须扩大高校和学生的选择权,构建多元、共享、开放的高等教育体系。

This serial academic essays focus on the future challenges in the coming stage of higher education universalization in our country, including the change of university internal governance structure and mode, potential risks faced by the university development, organization of students, etc., The diversification and mobility of the students in the stage of higher education universalization is the main characteristics of the students. It is of great significance to fully understand this feature for the smooth transition from the popularization stage to the stage of higher education universalization in China. With the further expansion of the scale and opportunities of higher education, students tend to be diversified in terms of age, education and social class and so on. Besides, there will be a substantial increase in the number of students who find it difficult to adapt to college education and to actively seek higher education that is more suitable for them, which improves their mobility. In light of this changing trend, on the one hand, it is necessary to build a higher education system composed of multi-level and multitype universities. On the other hand, set up a system that can guarantee the reasonable flow of students among different types of universities. China is about to enter into the stage of higher education universalization, however, the hardware facilities are still relatively backward in general. Higher education universalization is based on the overload operation of hardware facilities;the progress of teaching reform is slow;there is serious historical system dependence in education management, and the motivation for reform is insufficient. The reason is that the system, mechanism and corresponding concepts and cultures formed in history have blocked the path of reform and made it difficult for colleges and universities to respond sensitively to new educational needs. In addition, China’s postexpansion model of higher education, such as the government’s policy-driven, demographic dividend and the unique "diploma mindset", is also about to end. Therefore, in the stage of universalization, higher education should seek development through "creating new demand", which includes the quality of supply platform, the precision of supply strategy, the diversification of supply objects, the mixing of supply channels and the flexibility of supply modes. With Chinese higher education arriving at the stage of universal higher education, the entrance opportunities of international students who come to China to get academic education will continue to increase, and the scale, level, type and quality of international student education will change greatly, and China will be a leading destinations. While entering the new era, Chinese higher education will reform, develop, and compete on the world stage. At present, enrollment and education quality of international students has improved, but these still have the gap with China’s international standing of building the world power, higher education level at the stage of universal higher education, and the demand for cultivating international talents with the development of economic society. This paper provides some policy suggestions for promoting the connotative development of international education in China, optimizing the hierarchical structure, national structure and subject structure of international students, and promoting high-quality international student’s mobility in China. Thanks to a rapid development, the higher education universalization in China is just around the corner. It is imperative to conduct some preparatory research on the reform of student selection and enrollment system, and guide the healthy development of higher education."Make higher education available to anyone, anywhere" is the philosophy of universal higher education, and the idea of "lifelong education accessible to everyone at home or workplace via the Internet" can bring about changes in admission, criteria, necessity as well as mode. To better cope with these changes, the following work should be done: expanding the autonomy of choices for both universities and students, building a pluralistic and open higher education system, and giving full consideration to the level of social and economic development.