高等教育对创新型经济的贡献——基于企业面板数据的实证研究

The Role of Higher Education in Fostering Innovation and Its Implications for Allocating Educational Resources

在我国经济从追赶型向创新型转变的背景下,办什么样的高等教育,怎么办高等教育,成为建设高等教育强国要回答的首要问题。回答这一问题的关键是对高等教育投资效果的准确评估,特别是要把高等教育对创新型经济的贡献作为资源配置的重要依据。本文基于创新理论,运用企业面板数据,从多角度多层次探讨了高等教育对创新型经济的贡献,研究发现:(1)研究生学历人员对企业自主创新具有更高的影响效应,且这种效应随着时间推移愈加显著,本科和专科学历人员的贡献则逐渐减弱;(2)在创新型企业中,本科和研究生学历人员通过技术创新的中介效应分别为16%和21%,而传统企业并不存在技术创新这一中介路径;(3)驱动技术创新产出的主导力量仍为硕士学历人员,而博士学历人员仅对发明专利类创新作用显著,对于体现技术吸收的实用新型创新产出作用不显著;(4)在技术密集型制造业企业中,研究生学历人员对企业技术创新的影响效应更大,对全行业而言,研究生学历人员对产品和商业模式创新的企业自主创新作用更大。因此,在我国从追赶型经济向创新型经济全面转型之际,进一步扩大研究生规模是创新型经济发展的内在要求;要平衡好技术吸收与技术创新、自主创新与技术创新、传统产业升级和创新型产业发展的关系,进一步加大理工类博士研究生培养支持力度,加强研究生培养中的产教融合;要重视理工科和产品设计、管理类专业研究生的培养,加强对行业特色型高校的资源投入;要重视基础研究,大力加强基础学科拔尖创新人才培养,构建国家创新体系可持续发展的根基。

In the context of China's economic transformation from catch-up to innovation,how to develop what kind of higher education has become the primary question to be answered in building a country with strong higher education.The key to answering this question is to accurately assess the effect of investment in higher education,especially the contribution of higher education to the innovative economy,which is an important basis for resource allocation adjustment.This paper employs innovation theory to examine the contribution of higher education to the innovative economy from multiple perspectives and at multiple levels.It uses enterprise panel data and finds that:(1)Postgraduate education has a more pronounced impact on enterprise independent innovation than undergraduate and specialized education,and this effect is becoming increasingly evident with the passage of time.(2)In innovative enterprises,the intermediary effect of undergraduate and graduate degree holders through technological innovation is 16%and 21%respectively,while there is no intermediary path of technological innovation in traditional enterprises.(3)The primary driving force behind the output of technological innovation remains those with a master's degree,while doctoral degree holders play a significant role only in the invention and patent type of innovation,and a non-significant role in the output of utility model innovation,which reflects technological imitation.(4)In the technology-intensive manufacturing industry,the ratio of postgraduate degree holders exerts a greater influence on the technological innovation of enterprises in the technology-intensive manufacturing industry.Furthermore,the proportion of postgraduate education exerts a greater effect on the independent innovation of enterprises that comprehensively embodies the innovation of products and business models.Consequently,to facilitate China's transition from a catch-up economy to an innovative economy,it is imperative to expand the scale of graduate students.This is a crucial step in the development of an innovative economy.In addition to balancing the relationship between technology absorption and technological innovation,independent innovation and technological innovation,the upgrading of traditional industries and the development of innovative industries,it is also necessary to increase support for the cultivation of doctoral students in science and engineering,strengthen the exploration of the integration of industry and education in the cultivation of postgraduates,pay attention to the cultivation of postgraduates in science,engineering,product design,and management,and strengthen the investment of resources in the industry-specific colleges and universities.Also,it is essential to pay attention to basic research.Furthermore,it is imperative to emphasize the significance of fundamental research,to reinforce the cultivation of highly skilled innovators in fundamental disciplines,and to establish a robust foundation for the long-term sustainability of the national innovation system.