International Evaluation In Chinese Research Universities

With increasing globalization and the expansion of higher education in a global context,global mobility of students and scholars has greatly intensified the competition among universities for talents and prestige,thus reinforce the importance of quality assurance in developed and developing countries.Policies and quality assurance frameworks in higher education have been developed in different countries and regions.Building world-class universities and first-class disciplines to achieve strategic goals,needs to measure up with the benchmark of world-class standard.In China,there is increasing number of research universities have taken the international evaluation as an important measure in their key development stages,invited international experts to evaluated selected disciplines.Using CIPP model and "glonacal agency heuristics",this case study intends to examine how the rationales,approaches,process and impacts of international evaluation are shaped by multi-level elements and influences,thus to gain insight into this rising phenomenon.This study found the case university implemented international evaluation as a measure to diagnose the weakness in its construction of world-class university and first-class disciplines;there are flows,dynamics,and negotiations on school-department level,and within department level in the implementation process.This study identified factors such as the development of assessment system,stakeholders' willingness and participation,evaluation methods and indicators,cultural norms,have influenced the implementation of international evaluation.International evaluation helps the case study university to promote discipline building,elevate the level of internationalization of the university and its departments,strengthening the capability of faculty and improve the quality of students' cultivation,and facilitate the change of academic culture.It also revealed the departmental differences in rationales,process and impacts of international evaluation.This study conclude that the Chinese research universities should form the normative mechanism of international evaluation,and strengthen the self-assessment culture in the global perspective of culture.