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01 December 2025, Volume 43 Issue 12 Previous Issue   

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From the “World's Factory” to the “Global R&D Lab”: The Importance and Changing Sequence of the Quality of Higher Education Scale Structure in Innovative Development Haoran Tian, Liguo Li 2025, 43 (12):  1-15.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.001 Abstract ( 94 )   HTML ( 10 )   PDF (840KB) ( 51 )   Save With China’s development from the “world’s factory” in the past to today’s increasingly prominent role as the “world’s R & D laboratory”, to the world’s important innovation plateau in the future, the status and role of its higher education have been changing, and the importance and order of the scale, structure and quality of higher education in the development of innovation have also changed. Based on the decomposition framework of the effects of higher education scale, structure and quality on innovation and provincial panel data, the empirical analysis using mixed regression, Shapley value decomposition, double fixed-effects model and systematic generalized moments estimation found that: (1) the scale, structure and quality of higher education significantly affect regional innovation, and with the upgrading of the stage of innovation development, the status and role of higher education have been increasing, in which the importance of structural optimization and quality improvement is increasing, while the importance of scale expansion is relatively declining; (2) the contribution of higher education scale expansion to regional innovation increment (patent output) is about 14%, accounting for about half of the total contribution of higher education, reflecting the fundamental status of the scale effect; (3) the quality has a more consistent and significant positive effect, for every 1% increase in the quality level of the per capita student population, the patent output grows by an average of 0.7%~1.1%; (4) the hierarchy has a non-linear effect, and there is a synergistic interaction effect with the scale. The growth of total innovation can be driven by the scale of postgraduate education, and the growth of invention and innovation needs to rely on the synergistic effect of the expansion of the total scale and the increase in the proportion of postgraduate students. For this reason, China’s higher education development mode relying on the incremental scale needs to be shifted to the “stock optimization” mode mainly focusing on structural optimization and quality enhancement, and implement the regional differentiated development strategy of “classified positioning, layered expansion, and comprehensive quality enhancement”. In addition, the leading original innovation zones need to strengthen the synergistic layout of high-level education, and technology diffusion carrying zones should consolidate the foundation of undergraduate education. Also, localities should build a layout system that fits the stage of innovation with the core of quality leap. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Policy Reproduction of Provincial Governments’ Higher Education Evaluation Reforms and the Influence Mechanisms: An Empirical Research Based on Machine Learning and Qualitative Comparative Analysis Genshu Lu, Yujing Dong, Yangyun Liu 2025, 43 (12):  16-33.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.002 Abstract ( 74 )   HTML ( 12 )   PDF (1046KB) ( 24 )   Save Higher education evaluation reform serves as a critical component in enhancing China’s comprehensive higher education capacity and establishing the nation as a global higher education powerhouse. Provincial governments’ policy reproduction during the formulation of evaluation reform policies significantly impacts local practices. Based on the machine learning method, a Doc2vec model was constructed to conduct quantitative calculations on the reproduction of higher education evaluation reform policy content in China’s provinces. Furthermore, Qualitative Comparative Analysis was employed to uncover the influence mechanisms of provincial governments’ policy reproduction in higher education evaluation reform. The research finds that the degree of policy reproduction in provincial higher education evaluation reforms remains generally low. Five high-reproduction configurations were identified, which can be further categorized into three pathways: pressure-driven, horizontal competition-driven, and autonomous optimization. Three low-reproduction configurations were identified, which can be further generalized into two distinct pathway typologies: resource-deficient type and pressure-alienated type. A comparative analysis of pathways with high and low reproduction reveals that the provincial government’s education fiscal input is the economic basis for the provincial government to promote the reproduction of policy content of higher education evaluation reform, and the comprehensive strength of provincial higher education is the realistic basis for the provincial government to promote the reproduction of policy content of higher education evaluation reform. There is a substitution effect between the provincial government’s education fiscal input and the attention allocation of the provincial government, both of which can respond positively to external pressure. When there is no external pressure, they have a synergistic effect with the comprehensive strength of provincial higher education development, and their coordination can effectively enhance the degree of policy content reproduction by provincial governments. Therefore, provincial governments should stimulate internal motivation, rationally allocate education fiscal input, and implement central policies in a way that suits local conditions. The central government should further strengthen supervision, inspection, and reward and punishment measures to better promote the implementation of relevant policies. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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A Study on the Mechanism by Which Organized Scientific Research in Higher Education Institutions Influences the Output Level of Disciplines Li Zheng, Yong Xuan 2025, 43 (12):  34-49.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.003 Abstract ( 57 )   HTML ( 3 )   PDF (779KB) ( 25 )   Save Promoting organized scientific research in higher education institutions is an important measure to serve national strategic needs. Currently, the effectiveness of organized scientific research in higher education institutions is insufficient. Research suggests that disciplines play a crucial foundational role in supporting organized scientific research in higher education institutions, and their output levels serve as the cornerstone for the collaborative efficiency of multidisciplinary research. Focusing on the key issue of how to enhance the output levels of disciplines, this study proposes the proposition of improving the organizational level of disciplines. Through a survey of 244 academic disciplines nationwide, this study employed higher-order factor analysis to validate the rationality of a second-order factor model of disciplinary organizational degree and, using structural equation modeling, revealed the underlying mechanisms by which disciplinary organizational degree influences disciplinary output levels. Empirical results indicate that disciplinary organizational degree significantly and positively impacts disciplinary output levels, with internal cohesion within disciplinary organizations playing a partial mediating role. Based on these findings, specific recommendations are provided on how to enhance disciplinary output levels by improving disciplinary organizational organization, thereby strengthening the foundational support role of disciplines in organized research at universities. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The Semiotics of the World and Educational Understanding of Everything Shenghong Jin 2025, 43 (12):  50-59.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.004 Abstract ( 58 )   HTML ( 5 )   PDF (599KB) ( 16 )   Save The world reveals itself with signs and semiosis, and being contains understanding and being understood. The relationship between signs and understanding shows the meaningful communication among all things in the world. Signs and their interpretants do not necessarily base on human language. All things, through signs and understanding, form intersubjectivities, establish co-creation and, affordances, and form the structures and orders of the world. The semiotic processes or actions of all things establish each other, give to each other, and shape each other, presenting a nurturing and educational relationship, establishing inter-educational meanings. For educational practices of human, it is necessary to face the multiple semiotic processes of the world, open up more semiotic spaces to perceive, respond to, and understand the semiosis of all things, and to form connections of educational meanings at multiple levels, in order to obtain educational shaping from the existence of all things, and thus it is a try to recreate new types of education that nurtures the human singularity in the era of artificial intelligence. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Institutional Construction of Learning Society in the Perspective of Adult Learning System Theory Yong Zhang, Min Zhu, Jing Cai 2025, 43 (12):  60-70.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.005 Abstract ( 72 )   HTML ( 7 )   PDF (652KB) ( 36 )   Save Institutional construction is a vital dimension of the construction of a learning society. The theory of adult learning systems regards adult learning and education as social institutions, and based on the perspective of political economy, regards institutional coordination issues at different levels as important issues. From the perspective of theory of adult learning systems, the paper re-examines the institutional construction of a learning society, and proposes that the institutional construction of a learning society exists in the process of effectively responding to institutional coordination issues at different levels, mainly including coordination issues between different types of educational resources, strategic interactions between educational stakeholders, and matching issues between educational and other related institutions. As an interdisciplinary research field, the study of a learning society urgently needs to go beyond the existing exploration of education and draw on the nutrients of multiple disciplines, including sociology, political science, and economics. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Reclaiming Calling: A Discussion on Translation and a Reinterpretation of John Dewey’s Ideas on Vocational Education Daoyong Ding, Xiaomin Shen 2025, 43 (12):  71-85.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.006 Abstract ( 37 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (757KB) ( 5 )   Save When discussing vocational education, John Dewey frequently invoked the concept of calling. However, existing Chinese and Japanese translations of this term fail to fully capture Dewey's intended meaning, hindering a deeper understanding of his ideas on vocational education. Dewey’s use of calling transcends the conventional notions of “career” or “occupation” and embodies unique connotations. First, it provides rewards beyond mere economic returns. Second, it evokes an intrinsic sense of duty in individuals. Third, it establishes explicit behavioral constraints; and finally, it demands careful consideration and selection. Dewey’s debate with David Snedden highlights his opposition to vocational education, which prioritizes skill training and employment-focused objectives. Instead, Dewey valued whether individuals could discover a congenial calling that resonates with their unique dispositions and aspirations. Through such alignment, individuals could achieve personal development while simultaneously realizing their social value. In today’s context, where a commitment to duty and responsibility is increasingly emphasized, Dewey’s views on vocational education and the central concept of calling merit renewed attention. Calling serves as a theoretical tool to counter the prevailing “bread-and-butter” mindset dominating both vocational and general education, a tendency Dewey once opposed but which has repeatedly resurfaced over time. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Re-examining the Concept of Internationalization in Higher Education: Western Conceptual Hegemony and the Construction of Diverse Knowledge Systems rui Yang, lili Yang 2025, 43 (12):  86-96.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.007 Abstract ( 44 )   HTML ( 3 )   PDF (749KB) ( 11 )   Save Since the introduction of the concept of internationalization in higher education, the so-called “mainstream” definitions of it, represented by Jane Knight’s definition, have gradually developed into the “norm” of higher education internationalization on a global scale, and have become a key reference in the theoretical discussion and practice of internationalization in higher education. However, as these definitions were developed in the Western context, they only reflect the internationalization of higher education from Western perspectives, and are thus narrow. It is difficult to accommodate them for the de facto diverse understandings and requirements of internationalization in different countries and higher education institutions, and at different historical stages. These definitions are also restricting the potential and imagination of non-Western higher education systems. Furthermore, these definitions have intrinsic limitations, including their ignorance of the internationalization of knowledge. With a special focus on the interactions between multiple cultures, especially between Chinese and Western cultures, this paper reflects on the existing connotations of internationalization in higher education. It draws upon Chinese intellectual traditions and highlights intellectual pluralism in higher education as an essential aspect of higher education internationalization. It also underlines the responsibility and potential of Chinese intellectual and cultural traditions in contributing to the development of global higher education and human civilization. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Research on the Subjective Consciousness of the Construction of the Autonomous Knowledge System of China’s Higher Education Discipline Qinzheng Gong, Huimin Qin 2025, 43 (12):  97-110.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.008 Abstract ( 51 )   HTML ( 2 )   PDF (761KB) ( 11 )   Save Subjective consciousness is key factor in the construction of the autonomous knowledge system of China’s higher education discipline. The human nature assumption of the “relational person” in the continuum of “I-me” provides a precise analytical framework for understanding the “suspended thinking” of knowledge system constructing subject. Using the method of in-depth interviews, the relationship network of Chinese higher education knowledge system constructing subject takes self as the coordinate origin, vertically forming teacher-student relationships, and horizontally forming relationships with organizational members and community members. The relational environment provides a subtle and non-reflective background knowledge for knowledge system constructing subject at the institutional and habitual levels, known as cultural significance. Constructing subject constantly constructs a new higher education knowledge system as surface knowledge based on the “cultural significance” foundation that arises from various complex relationships. The relationship has a decisive significance for the identity and behavior of knowledge system constructing subject. The autonomy of the knowledge system depends on whether the constructor can establish a self-awareness of the subjectivity of “me” in the relational network, and has the ability to actively choose and construct new surface knowledge by jumping out of the subconscious and using background knowledge. Thus, it provides a judgment standard for autonomy. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Public Discourse Analysis and Governance Strategies of Parents’ Sharenting: Empirical Research Based on Big Data Texts Xiaolian Huang, Hongkai Shao, Conggen Yan 2025, 43 (12):  111-129.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.009 Abstract ( 60 )   HTML ( 3 )   PDF (1380KB) ( 10 )   Save The arrival of the digital age has made it commonplace for parents to share their children on self media platforms. Based on 15,104 big data texts crawled from Sina Weibo, a theoretical analysis framework for the public discourse of parents’sharenting was constructed. At the same time, purposive sampling was used to select 10 individuals for targeted interviews, using situational narratives from the interviewees to supplement any details that may have been overlooked.The act of sharenting is manifested in the perspective of children as a boundary crossing of their identity, forgetting of their ethics, and a warning of their safety. From the perspective of parents, it is understood as a growth record, a type of emotional medium, and a cluster effect; In the public perspectivee, it is seen as an implicit intrusion, a common occurrence among people, and a type of symbolic representation. Based on the social context of the integration of private and public domains, facing the discourse conflicts and practical problems of parents’ sharenting, the government needs to be committed to legislative protection of children’s digital survival and environmental supervision of children’s digital friendly ecology. Parents need to have a moderate grasp of the boundaries of children’s digital rights and have a dynamic understanding of the stages of children’s digital rights. The public needs to enhance their awareness of public space and work together to maintain the healthy growth of children in public spaces. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Higher Education Reform and Development in the Artificial Intelligence Era: A Conversation between Zhu Yongxin and Turing Award Winner Professor John Hopcroft Yongxin Zhu, John Hopcroft 2025, 43 (12):  130-140.  doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.12.010 Abstract ( 55 )   HTML ( 6 )   PDF (619KB) ( 20 )   Save Artificial intelligence is a key driving force behind the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. It not only has a significant and far-reaching impact on economic development, social progress, and the international political and economic landscape, but also profoundly changing the ecology and structure of education. Through a conversation between Zhu Yongxin and John Hopcroft, this article explores several issues concerning the reform and development of higher education in the era of artificial intelligence: how to cultivate students’ curiosity and creativity; whether artificial intelligence can replace human teachers; what are the criteria for a good teacher and how undergraduate teaching should be reformed”. References | Related Articles | Metrics