Research On The Policy Change Of Western China Higher Education Development

Revitalizing western higher education is the internal requirement of the construction of a powerful country in China Higher Education.It is also the due meaning of building a high-quality higher education system and realizing the high-quality development of higher education.Since the founding of new China,especially since the Western Development,the Central Government of China has led the sustainable policy supply for the development of western higher education.Although it has been adjusted and changed several times,it has generally maintained the stable operation of policies and promoted the development of western higher education.However,at present,the regional gap in the development of eastern and western higher education in China is still widening.In the long-term process of policy change,the western higher education development policy is embedded in the China specific institutional structures,and its macro political and economic system,national development objectives and tasks have a great impact on the change of western higher education development policy.Starting with the policy analysis paradigm,this study combs the evolution process,characteristics and effectiveness of the western higher education development policy;Using the method of case study,analyzes the process,effect and deviation of policy implementation;Using the theory of historical institutionalism,explores the basic logic behind policy change from the structural relationship between factors such as system and behavior and "path dependence",to solve the institutional obstacles of policy promotion.Since the founding of new China,the development policy of western higher education has passed four development stages: unified national planning,"compensatory" policy supply,policy "incremental" support and policy "accurate" supply.Policy changes generally show the characteristics of "gradual" evolution,which is manifested in the diversification of policy actors,the selection and application of policy tools,and the diversification of relations among policy actors.The policy supply has further optimized the spatial layout and structure of China’s higher education,made due contributions to regional economic and social development and cultural inheritance,while improving the development ability and level of western higher education.However,in the process of policy implementation,due to the influence of the policy itself,the main actors of policy implementation and the environment,there were problems such as selective implementation,alternative implementation,resulting in the obstruction of policy implementation and the decline of policy effectiveness.Policy change is a dynamic equilibrium process driven by different factors.China institutional structure,the subjective initiative of actors and the evolution of ideas constitute the main driving force for the change of the policy The national macro institutional structure provides a suitable framework for policy change and creates an institutional environment,the formal power guarantee and legitimacy source;Under the leadership of the China central government,"central local coordination" has continuously promoted the introduction and implementation of policies,and the higher education competition of local governments has provided it with an internal driving force.Western universities and their stakeholders participate in the policy process through the interest expression mechanism,creating a foundation for social public opinion;The state’s functional orientation of higher education and the public’s cognitive change of higher education also promote the policy change.The change process of western higher education development policy shows obvious path dependence characteristics:Eastern higher education takes the lead in development,while western higher education is obviously in a disadvantageous position.The causes of path dependence mainly include:(1)The historical "time sequence" difference formed by the initial conditions of higher education development in the East and the West;(2)The high policy initial cost and benefit consideration,learning effect,coordination effect and the policy self reinforcement formed by the adaptability expectation of policy actors;(3)The limitations of policy makers and core actors’ cognition of policy issues,the continuity in the choice of policy tools,and the impact of informal system on actors’ ideas and behaviors.The Western Development strategy implemented in 1999 and the revitalization plan in 2013 have become two key nodes in the policy changes of western higher education development.In the process of the development of higher education in the west,there are some problems,such as the institutional locking of "compensatory support" and "assimilative development" in the same institutional framework,resulting in the identity cognition based on the regional characteristics of "the west".In addition,the policy implementation process has formed the dependence on the administrative mode of the government,the locking of the operation of the "project system" and the mode of government performance evaluation.At present,to optimize the development policy of higher education in Western China,we must put it in the overall reform framework,make the reform of government functions synchronized with the self-development of colleges and universities,combine "blood transfusion" with "hematopoiesis" internally and externally,and realize the inner development.First,we should increase the reform of the mechanism of higher education and policy supply,establish the concept of educational equity,highlight the value of human subjectivity,promote the integration of higher education resources through joint efforts and build up policies,then gradually optimize the operation process of policies and enhance the efficiency.Second,strengthen the driving force of policy change,give full play to the role of promising government and effective market,stimulate the initiative of the central and local governments,and form an interactive relationship between local governments,universities and society.Third,reduce the resistance to institutional innovation,update ideas,adjust the relationship between policy supply and demand,optimize the process of policy implementation,and overcome the problem of path dependence in policy change.