An Analysis of Reform in Administrative System of Chinese Higher Education

Overview & Synopsis

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the administrative system of higher education then was characterized as "centralized", "Tiao and Kuai" were segmented (some higher education institutions were directly administered by provincial governments, and some were affiliated to the relative administrative departments of the state) and higher education institutions (HEIs) were government-run. The reform in the administrative system of higher education launched in the 1980s broke down the segmentation of "Tiao and Kuai", and changed it into a new administrative system emphasizing the role of the provincial governments ("Kuai-oriented mode"). Thus, HEIs gained more autonomy and tremendous changes have taken place in the relation between HEIs and the government. However, weakening the government's administrative control over HEIs and readjusting government-HEIs relations are still the main concerns in reforming the administrative system of Chinese higher education.