The Effects Evaluation Research Of China's World-class University Policies

China's high education is in a stage,i.e.upgrading quality internally,operating elite education with mass education simultaneously,and its world-class universities building entering into a critical period.Responding to the call of Notice from State Council on Printing and Distributing the Overall Plan for Promoting the World-class Universities and World-Class Disciplines and Opinions on How to Further Promote the Separation of Administration,Operation and Evaluation and Improve the Reform of Government Functions,,this thesis is an exploratory study on evaluating effects of China's world-class universities policies.The thesis,with an interdisciplinary research perspective,utilizes impact evaluation theory,multi-task principal-agent theory,propensity score matching and difference-in-difference models comprehensively,combines basic theory and methods of educational evaluation,evaluate effects of Project 211 and Project 985 which are the first level world-class universities building project and second level project respectively in China.Except Introduction and Research Summary and Prospect,the thesis consists of five parts with each one as a chapter.Part I(Chapter 2)Theoretical Basis of Policy Effect Evaluation.This chapter defines core concepts involved with world-class university building policy effect evaluation,i.e.world-class university,building policy and policy effect firstly,discusses impact evaluation theory and multitask principal-agent model and analyze basic theory problem,i.e.intension,significance,principle and procedure of world-class university policy effect evaluation.Part ?(Chapter 3)Selection of Policy Effect Evaluation Model.This chapter analyzes theoretical frame,development process,interrelation and existed difference between series of "Project 211" and "Project 985" and select propensity score matching model to evaluate Project 211 and difference-in-difference model to evaluate Project 985 respectively after determining the applicability of several policy effect model,i.e.propensity score matching,difference-in-difference,random evaluation,instrumental variable and regression discontinuity.Part III(Chapter 4)Project 211 Policies Effects Evaluation.This chapter chooses 71Project 211 universities in the treatment group and 171 non-Project 211 universities in the comparison group,takes those universities,building area,library collections,fixed asset,teaching and research instrument value,full-time teacher,professor,assistant professor,Cheung Kong scholar,academicians,doctoral.program,national key discipline,science and technology income and expenditure as covariates and academic papers,research project and monograph in the dimension of scientific research,undergraduate,postgraduate and doctoral student in the dimension of talents cultivation and technology transfer contract and technology transfer income in the dimension of social service as outcome variables to establish propensity score matching model and evaluate quantitative effect of Project 211.Three findings of "Project 211" policies effects evaluation are as followings:first,the estimated results of propensity score matching are lower than those of traditionally direct comparison between "Project 211" universities and "non-Project 211" universities,which means comparability problems and selection bias exists in the traditionally direct comparison and thus estimated results are biased.Second,"Project 211”has produced positive effects on built universities' academic papers,research and development project,master student and doctor student,insignificant effects on academic monograph,and negative effects on technology transfer contract and technology transfer income.Third,"Project 211”has produced more effects on corresponding outcome variables of science and engineering universities than of comprehensive universities.Part IV(Chapter 5)Project 985 Policies Effects Evaluation.This chapter chooses 38 Project 985 universities in the treatment group and 71 Project 211 universities in the comparison group,and takes variables that are close related to world-class universities as outcome variables to establish difference-in-difference model and evaluate quantitative effect of Project 985.Three findings are as followings:First,"Project 985”has produced positive effects on related variables of built universities' scientific research and talent cultivation,but produced insignificant effects on related variables of social service;Second,the periodic effects of "Project 985",whether positive effects on scientific research variables or negative effects on social service variables,are of continuity;Third,"Project 985" has produced more effects on comprehensive universities' variables related to scientific research and talent cultivation than science and engineering universities'related variables,but less effects on social service variables of comprehensive universities than related variables of science and engineering universities.Part V(Chapter 6)Experience and implication of China' World-Class University Policy Evaluation.This chapter gets experience and implication on the research results ofChapter 4 and Chapter 5.This chapter gets three implication,i.e.building goal,building approach and evaluation system on world-class university policy after summarizing positive and negative experience of two projects.As to building goal,firstly,China should set "three periodic first level" goal and build world-class university step-by-step;secondly,set up balanced target incentive system and work hard for improving three functions of universities.As to building methods,firstly,weigh the advantages and disadvantages of merging-type building method of world-class university,turn potential advantages of merging type into actual advantages;secondly,combine with economic and social development strategy,build multi-type world-class university;thirdly,explore pressure and power of world-class university building and avoid the value and importance of world-class university.As to evaluation system,firstly,build a synergetic policy evaluation system with multiple subjects to evaluate the building of world-class university;secondly,adopt scientific policy effect evaluation method to guarantee the objectivity.The thesis evaluates effects caused by a serial world-class university policies,i.e.Project 211 and Project 985 policies,makes a thorough research about policy effects on related variables of scientific research,talent cultivation and social service from three aspects of theory,method and application,and makes up shortages of research on China' s world-class university policy effects evaluation.The research results not only supply basic theory and method guide for governments'departments when they make,execute and evaluate world-class university policy,but also expand research scope and application service ability of educational policy evaluation and institutions evaluation.The research findings are valuable no matter on practical level of world-class university building or in educational policy evaluation and institution evaluation.