On Characteristic Development Strategies Of Harvard University

The University's Characteristic Development Strategy is a unique college-developing character which meets the need for society and economy development, conforms to the law of education development, and is useful to its own survival, also gives prominence to its self-style and the feasible development in the long-term college-developing process. The UCDS takes advantage of the character to set down overall and long-term plans for university's development. It takes the macro-object as its duty, meanwhile it gives the object orientation, choice, and analysis, making and carrying into execution step by step. The key of this paper has focused on the inspection of Harvard University in four courses, the first half of thel8th century, post Civil War, post Second World War and the 21st century, in order to find out the characteristic strategy which influents its development.The Harvard University's Characteristic Development Strategy was not obvious in first half of the 18th century. It mainly kept the university tradition as its character and orientated itself between tradition and transformation in order to get further development. That is the germination of academic freedom idea, professional college and practical thoughts. After the Civil War, Harvard University's Characteristic Development Strategy took transformation as its main subject, regarded the first-class scholars as the vitality for the university's development and adjusted the curriculums which gave prominence to the practical value of education thoughts. For that it rebuilt education system, employed first-class scholars, developed elective courses and required courses, and emphasized pragmatism education. After the Second World War, the American higher education had become to grade, so Harvard University started to seek innovation for survival. The president's college-developing idea became more and more important to development strategy, meanwhile the curriculum reform, elite education and faculty became to be international, and so Harvard University developed internationally.As the 21st century arrival, Harvard University's development strategy becomes more comprehensive. On scientific research, it targets on high-end scientific research and gives scientific research the fund priority. On personnel training, it targets on high-standard talents education, implements academic-oriented and people-oriented quality assurance strategy and advocates the general education curriculums strategy. On social services, it gives prominence to the idea that the University should strengthen social services, enhance social services capacity and improve the effectiveness of social services.Analyzing Harvard University's development strategy, further more making a comparison between domestic university and foreign university, the paper concludes that the principal's thought is the theoretical cornerstone of university's characteristic development strategy, academic freedom is important premise of the talent education and the scientific research, ushering in social trends is essential requirement of the first-class university and social service is university's mission.