The Quest for World Class Universities in China: Critical Reflections

Building world-class universities has become a national policy priority in China since then-President Jiang Zemin announced in May 1998 that China must have several world-class universities of international advanced level. This article aims to offer critical reflections on the policy in relation to building world-class universities in China. It begins by introducing the policy context of China's world-class universities initiatives. Then, it examines Chinese perceptions of world-class universities, and assesses the related policy options adopted by the government and universities. It concludes that the formation and implementation of the policy of building the world-class universities in China reflects the ambition of both the Chinese government and Chinese universities to develop high quality higher education in the context of globalization and the knowledge-based economy.