| Exploring the impact of higher education international competitiveness on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing is an important perspective for analyzing the relationship between higher education and the economy.In 2023,the added value of China’s high-tech manufacturing industry increased by 2.7%,accounting for 15.7% of the added value of industries above designated size,and investment in high-tech manufacturing industry increased by 10.3% over the previous year.High-tech manufacturing has become an important pillar for the development and growth of the real economy.At the same time,in the context of rapid changes in the global industrial chain,China’s high-tech manufacturing industry is still at the middle and lower end of the global value chain,facing the risk of being "locked in at the low end," with many key technologies in urgent need of breakthroughs.The core competitiveness of the high-tech manufacturing industry comes from technological innovation,especially the breakthroughs in key core technologies and original,disruptive innovations.Higher education,as the "source of living water" for technological innovation,is the main force of the national knowledge innovation system and the new force of the technological innovation system.According to statistics,over 60% of national laboratories and key national laboratories are located in universities,nearly 80% of National Natural Science Foundation projects and 60% of "973" program projects are undertaken by universities,and about 70% of national natural science awards and technology invention awards are completed under the leadership of universities.Higher education is increasingly demonstrating its important value in responding to global challenges,solving the problems of the times,and promoting human development.The international competitiveness of higher education,as an important component of the comprehensive competitiveness of a country that reflects the development level of the higher education system,the effectiveness of human resource training,and the contribution to socioeconomic progress and knowledge innovation,is closely related to the upgrading of the global value chain position of high-tech manufacturing.Achieving a balance between the upgrading needs of higher education and the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing,as well as ensuring effective linkage between the two,is a major responsibility for policymakers and a process that requires the participation and efforts of all sectors of society.Therefore,this study starts from the perspective of higher education international competitiveness,deeply explores the optimization strategies for the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing,which is both theoretically profound and practically significant.This study first refines the international competitiveness of higher education into four core dimensions based on the core functions of higher education: talent cultivation,scientific and technological innovation,and social services: human capital in higher education,scientific research innovation in higher education,services in higher education,and internationalization of higher education.Secondly,with the help of the multi-dimensional perspective of higher education international competitiveness,the study deeply explores the impact mechanism on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing,including the advanced promotion mechanism of human capital and the technology innovation-driven mechanism.Then,through empirical analysis of the basic situation of the international competitiveness of higher education and the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing in 38 major countries from 2000 to 2022,the correlation between the two is further verified,providing empirical support for theoretical assumptions.Finally,the study deeply analyzes the specific impact of higher education international competitiveness on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing,aiming to reveal the deep-seated connection between the two.The main research conclusions are as follows:First,empirical research results show that the international competitiveness of higher education has a positive impact on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing.Over the past twenty years,China’s higher education international competitiveness has achieved significant improvement,with comprehensive progress in all core dimensions,including human capital in higher education,scientific research innovation in higher education,services in higher education,and internationalization of higher education,making China’s higher education a world leader.At the same time,China’s high-tech manufacturing industry has also continuously improved its position in the global value chain,especially since 2010,the growth rate has become more apparent.However,the division of labor in China’s high-tech manufacturing global value chain has always been hovering in the middle and lower reaches.There is a structural divergence between the international competitiveness of higher education and the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing.Second,the improvement of higher education international competitiveness has a positive impact on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing through the advanced promotion mechanism of human capital and the technology innovation-driven mechanism.In addition,each dimension of higher education international competitiveness also promotes the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing through the advanced promotion mechanism of human capital and the technology innovation-driven mechanism.Third,the impact of higher education international competitiveness on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing shows significant heterogeneity in different countries.In developed countries,given their relatively mature higher education systems and research foundations,the improvement of higher education international competitiveness mainly reflects in promoting the development of cutting-edge technologies,strengthening international academic exchanges and cooperation,and attracting international outstanding talents,thereby providing solid support for the high-end positioning in the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing.By contrast,in developing countries,the improvement of higher education international competitiveness initially mainly reflects in promoting economic development and promoting the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure.Only when competitiveness reaches a certain threshold can it effectively promote the country’s upgrading in the global value chain.This result highlights the strategic importance of improving higher education international competitiveness and promoting the development of high-tech industries in developing countries.Fourth,the impact of scientific research innovation in higher education on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing in China is not significant,reflecting the insufficiency between academic research output and industrial innovation capability transformation,and the possible disconnect between the applicability of academic research and industrial needs.This phenomenon reveals the asymmetry between higher education and industrial needs,the imbalance in the distribution of educational resources,and the disconnect between technological innovation and practical application.The possible innovation points and marginal contributions of this study are mainly reflected in the following three aspects:First,this study adopts a multi-dimensional perspective to explore the linear or nonlinear impact of higher education international competitiveness on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing.Unlike previous studies,this study not only examines the linear relationship between higher education international competitiveness and the development of high-tech manufacturing but also deeply explores the possible nonlinear relationship,including threshold effects and heterogeneity impacts.By comprehensive consideration,it reveals more complex and dynamic interaction mechanisms between higher educa Second,the research results confirm the key role of higher education international competitiveness in promoting the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing.Compared with previous studies,this study innovatively expands on the existing literature,extending the research focus from the general analysis of the impact of higher education on the industry to the specific impact of higher education international competitiveness on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing.It developed new comprehensive indicators to measure different dimensions of higher education international competitiveness,aiming to capture the diverse characteristics of higher education more comprehensively.Not only does it consider higher education as a whole,but it also focuses on the specific role of higher education in different dimensions of human capital,scientific research innovation,services,and internationalization on the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing.The introduction of this perspective provides new insights into the role of higher education in the context of globalization,enriches the layers and pertinence of research results,fills the gap in existing literature in this field,and provides theoretical and empirical support for the precise formulation of policies for the development of higher education and high-tech manufacturing.tion and industrial development.Third,this study integrates interdisciplinary methodologies,comprehensively applying theories and methods from management,economics,and education.It verified that the international competitiveness of higher education and its dimensions of human capital,scientific research innovation,services,and internationalization can effectively promote the upgrading of the global value chain position of high-tech manufacturing through the advanced promotion mechanism of human capital structure and technology innovation-driven mechanism.This study constructs a comprehensive theoretical framework,connecting the interaction between higher education international competitiveness and the upgrading of the global value chain of high-tech manufacturing,and conducts cross-temporal comparative analysis of multiple countries under this framework.It not only analyzes data snapshots at specific time points but also examines the dynamic changes in higher education international competitiveness over a long time span and its continuous impact on high-tech manufacturing,providing a new academic perspective for revealing the key role of higher education in global high-tech manufacturing competition. |
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