Institutionalized Institutions:Classification Of Higher Education Institution In BRICS Countries

Classification of higher education institution is a priority topic both in higher education research and praxis.Classification initiates are quite different and highly featured in different targeted nations.This study aims at comparing and analyzing the classification praxis in four developing nations,viz.Brazil,Russia,India,as well as South Africa.Brazilian higher education can be categorized into public HEIs and private HEIs.Moreo-ver,public HEIs can be further divided into federal HEIs,state HEIs and municipal HEIs in terms of the running body.Similarly,private HEIs can be classified as denominational HEIs and community HEIs by funding source.Private HEIs are predominant in Brazil praxis as most students are engaged in private sector.Inhomogeneous types of HEIs are widely exist-ing in Brazil,from family-owned to a large scale.Inhering from former SU,Russia has the most mature and well-repute higher education system in BRICS.Russia clearly distinguishes the specific category of "university","institute"and "academy".Also,Russia conducts an interchangeable viaduct system so as to give a flex-ible mechanism for students at different type and level.India owns the largest higher education framework in BRICS,not only in terms of the in-volved students but its highly complicated education system.Indian HEI can be divided into central university,state university,private university,deemed-to-be university,institution of national importance as well as institution under state legislature act.Based on this vertical HEI line,India adopts central-regional administrative mode to service and control the HEI system,while the highly segmented and fragmented features are a big problem in its sustain-able development.South African higher education is relatively small and fine due to its limited population and economic scale.It owns 36 HEIs in apartheid period and initiates merging and incorpora-tion campaign after the democracy political reform.Nowadays,South African HEIs can be categorized into traditional university,comprehensive university and technikon-similar to vocational institutions.The division criteria are mainly the disciplinary engagement and dis-tinctive orientations.The four landscapes have their similar points but also distinctive features.The similarities are focused on the diversity educational modes,the strong involvement of government au-thorities,the increasing demand of private sector and social service capability.However,these four nations have their individual features,Brazil is highly random and variant,Russia is finely orchestrated and organized,India is complex,owns a multi-pipeline and inner-stratified higher education system while South Africa is small and fine.As for Chinese HEI classification practice,we should enhance the coordination of central and local authorities,inspire all social engagements to participate in HEI construction,insist on the characteristic developing modes for individual HEI,construct the interchangeable HEI viaduct,flexibly integrate progressive and mild approaches,etc.