Research On Problems And Solutions Of Government Procurement In Universities In China

With the government increasing investment in higher education, the scale of higher education system continues to expand, and the procurement of commodities, services and engineering is on the rise significantly. University procurement management has become a very important part in government procurement. University procurement management is a complicated and systematic project, relating to university organizational structures, procurement finance & procedure management, national asset management, and some other aspects. Without a scientifically standardized matching procurement management system and procedures, aimlessness and irregularities will inevitably occur, resulting in economic damage and negative impact on the development of the university. How to realize "procurement in the sunlight", that is openness, fairness and impartiality in procurement, and how to regulate government purchasing in universities so to improve efficiency in the use of financial resources to the best, as well as to build a clean and honest administration in universities have become urgent matters in higher education system.In this paper, the author who has recent experiences in government procurement at universities, starts with the description of the concept and the methods in university procurement. In this beginning part, based on the public choice theory, rent-seeking theory and transaction cost theory, a full demonstration is given on relevant theoretical foundation in government procurement at universities. The next part is about the analysis of the current situation of government procurement at universities, with three aspects:the achievements in government procurement at universities, the main problems, and the causes of the problems. Then the government procurement situations in the US, South Korea and Italy and other developed countries are introduced so to build a foundation for further application and reference. Finally, some solutions and suggestions in solving problems of government procurement at universities are raised in terms of legal system, supervision and management mechanism, standardization operation, and facility & staff levels.