The Research On The Contribution Of Higher Education To The Economic Development

In the era of knowledge economy, knowledge instead of material capital has become the most important means of production. Thus higher education is more closely related with social and economic development in that it steps out of the boundary to the center and becomes the engine for the social, economic and technological development. It is a consistent theme of national policy for China's government to give persistent high priority to education and deeply implement the "strategy of science and education to prosper the nation" and the "strategy of talents to strengthen the nation". The development of higher education has been one of the most important factors that influence the great revival of Chinese nationality to stand within world economic powers.With theoretical research, this thesis analyzes both short-term and long-term influences of higher education on the economic development. It deepens into the perspective of region to grasp the relation between higher education and economic development. Finally it makes an empirical demonstration on the actual situation of higher education and economic development in Beijing Municipality. The innovations of this paper are mainly represented in the following aspects:a The deep analysis on both short-term and long-term influences of higher education on the economic developmentFrom the long run perspective, the main approach for higher education to influence the long-term economic growth is by human capital and technological progress. In the process of human capital production, higher education is the most important approach to improve the intellectual quality of laborers. It is the key to cultivating and improving the innovative capability of laborers as well as an important means to form their ideas of morality and value. In the aspect of technological progress, higher education is the reproduction base for the talents prompting the progressof science and technology, the reproduction base for the progress of science and technology, and the main channel for modern scientific technology to transform to productivity. From the short run perspective, higher education mainly influences the economic growth through higher education consumption. The result of our study shows that from cause-effect testing, the increase in higher education consumption mainly characterized as higher education expenses cannot promote the short-termeconomic growth while the increase in higher education consumption featured with college student number increase helps to boost short-term economic growth. However, research should be further deepened on the argument of excessive education.b The overall analysis on the important role of higher education in the economic sustainable developmentThe economic growth does not equally mean economic development. Higher education plays an indispensable role in the process of economic development. Above all, higher education is an important system and approach to update the industrial structure through the mechanism of human capital expansion. Next, higher education promotes the impartiality in the income allotment through the three channels including structural effect, salary reduction effect and social class division & flow effect. Meanwhile, special concerns must be paid to the impartiality of higher education itself so that the positive effects of higher education can be developed in the impartiality of income allotment. Finally, the precondition of sustainable development is the development that refers to the development of not only economy but also education. To develop education is the fundamental major program for sustainable development. Higher education is of top level in educational system and of utmost importance to the social sustainable development.c The discussion on the intrinsic connections between higher education and non-equilibrium in regional economic developmentThe non-equilibrium in regional development of China's higher education is a focus of current research. From both quantity and quality aspects, this thesis constructs a comparatively complete index system to give a full portrait of non-equilibrium feature in the regional development of China's higher education. Higher education influences the regional economic development mainly in the six aspects such as human capital, high-tech industry, regional division system, regional competitiveness and higher educationconsumption. In order to coordinate higher education and regional economic development with each other, policies must be implemented in three aspects such as providing more policy support, executing regionalization strategy in higher education and establishing university science & technology gardens.d The analysis on the inherent relationship between higher education in Beijing Municipality and its regional economic developmentBeijing is the educational center recognized nationwide, especially the higher education, the strength and scale of which cannot be competed by any other city in the whole nation. As to the influence of higher education in Beijing Municipality on itseconomic development, the basic conclusion in this thesis is that higher education on one hand has tremendously prompted and promoted the economic development of capital city. However, meanwhile higher education in Beijing Municipality restricts the economic development in Beijing region to a certain degree. In order to further carry forward the comparative advantage of higher education in Beijing Municipality, this thesis proposes the guiding principle, emphasis and procedure to reform its administrative mode and educational structure pattern. The current four emphases in the reform of higher education in Beijing Municipality are: to realize multi-pattern development of higher education, to optimize the space layout of higher education resources, to implement various kinds of school running systems in higher education, and to advance the internationalization in higher education.