Study On The Quality Assurance System Of Transnational Higher Education In China

In recent years, with the continuous improvement of the status in the world of transnational higher education, China is increasingly becoming the largest transnational higher education input country. The main form of transnational higher education in China is Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools. For China, the core problem of the development of transnational higher education and the strenghern of capacity-building is quality problem. It is only the transnational higher education with true high quality which can promote the capacity construction of higher education of our country, cultivate the human resources with quality standards, and improve the capacity of individuals, thus strenghern the capacity construction of the whole country at the end. However, to be imcompatiable with the reality of the rapid development of transnational higher education, we have no effective quality assurance standard and system on transnational higher education in practice, although the administrative departments of education have repeatedly emphasized that high-quality foreign educational resources should be introduced. Beginning with the relationship of globalization and internationalization of higher education, this study analysis the background, causes and characteristics of transnational higher education development, introduce the connotation, development concept and mode selection of transnational higher education, and make a comparative study of quality assurance activities among exporter, importer and the international organization of transnational higher education as well. Based on those studies, the author provides useful policy recommendations of transnational higher education quality assurance system construction with Chinese characteristics by taking a view on policy of strengthening the ability construction and the introduction of high-quality foreign educational resources.The development concepts of different countries are different because of the complexity and multy-dimentional of the causes of the development of transnational higher education. The formation process of the development concept of transnational higher education is the process of representing the macro value orientation and the will of a country. There are four main development concepts of transnational higher education:to promote international understanding, to develope human resources, to obtain economic benefits and to enhance capacity building. OECD classified the concepts and policy objectives of the development of transnational higher education in China, Malaysia, Hongkong and other emerging and developing countries and regions as a class of enhancing capacity building. Due to different development concept and value orientation, countries inevitably adopt different strategies and mode to participate transnational higher education. The development mode of transnational higher education mainly includes: direct output mode, internal integration mode, input driving output mode, and cooperative mode. Emerging and developing countries and regions often adopt input driving output mode, such as Malaysia, or cooperative mode, like China.Great differences in concept, position and purpose between input and output countries on the process of participating transnational higher education, will inevitably lead to different quality assurance methods to deal with the possible risks, to achieve their policy objectives. In order to support and encourage international cooperation and understanding betweent ransnational higher education input and output countries, and to improve the quality of global cross-border higher education, international organizations and international quality guarantee mechanism are also actively involved in external quality assurance activities of transnational higher education. Their participation plays a positive role in regularing and guiding the construction of the quality assurance framework of transnational higher education.After joining the WTO in December2001, China made relevant commitments about the education service, only the cooperation in running schools is allowed in China, foreign institutions setting up a separate school or other institutions of education in China are forbidden. The main concept to participate in international higher education and develop Chinese-foreign cooperative in running schools, is to strengthen the capacity building of education system and universities, to attract and develop the human resources. The supplemented concept is for economic benefits and international understanding. Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools in China has experienced three periods: the experimental stage (before <Interim Provisions for Chinese-foreign cooperation in running school> was issued), rapid development stage (from<Interim Provisions for Chinese-foreign cooperation in running school> to<Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools>), and normative management stage (from<Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools> issued till present). From an analysis of existing condition on Chinese-Foreign cooperation in running schools, many problems, such as low level of education, repeat construction of professionals, imbalance of regional distribution, concentration of foreign partners, and difficult to guarantee the introduction of high-quality educational resources and so on, can be discovered. Chinese government takes a variety of measures, such as entrance examination and approval, record licence, annual review and assessment of maturity, to manage Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools. Controlls are emphasized on the market access, public welfare, quality assurance, market order and fair competition. But because the standard of establishment and evaluation is fuzzy, so it seems that introduction of high quality resources go by contraries. Furthermore, lack of regulation mode and process, and lack of transparent and effective social evaluation system and social justice as well, causes many regulation problems of Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools.In view of the above problems, this study put forward to construct quality accreditation system of transnational higher education, in reference to foreign transnational higher education quality assurance experiences and practices, China’s current situation and problems of the development of Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools, and also in reference to the existing domestic higher education quality assurance system in our country. We should establish quality accreditation system of transnational higher education and international accreditation standards, actively participate in international organizations, actively carry out international cooperation in Chinese-foreign cooperative education accreditation. Only through these measures, can we effectively ensure the quality of input higher education, and guarantee that the development of Chinese-foreign cooperation must keep unanimous with the concept and goals of participating in transnational higher education.