| Strategic alliances refer to loose network of inter-organizations in which at least two firms with equal strengths share mutual advantages and risks, access complementary resources and skills through various kinds of agreements aimed at pursuing a common set of strategic objectives such as holding markets, using resources together. As an entirely new modern organization form, in the process of achieving sustainable competitive advantages, strategic alliances have been the most rapid, most economical tool for firms'globalization strategies, and the most effective way of improving their competitive ability in international markets since 1990s.The administration of higher education can be enlightened by the successful application of strategic alliances in industry. Both the academic field and administration section of a university have the analogous operation to the way of a firm. As an organization, a university also has"supply chain"and transactional costs, universities themselves also depend on each other in the aspect of resources, which make the universities have the theoretical possibility to set up strategic alliances. In the case of Chinese research universities, there exist two problems contradicting each other, one is the financial deficiency, the other is the duplication of similar projects, the improper allocation of resources and the low efficiency of utilizing resources, which should be addressed in no time. In addition, the essential quality of the"great discipline"of research universities and there mission——cultivating interdisciplinary talents also call for the reformation of the developing model which is characterized by running a university on its own. Therefore, establishing strategic alliances among Chinese research universities has practical significance.The successful application of university strategic alliances in America and the experience and the lessons of domestic university cooperation activities have set the base for establishing research university strategic alliances. However, the Chinese government should adopt active measures to expand university autonomy, delegate more decision-making power to a university, eliminate the systematic obstacles and support and promote the establishment and management of strategic alliances at macro-level. For the part of research universities, they should embrace ideas of opening and co-competition and"increasing through means of substituting". In the process of forging strategic alliances, they should choose appropriate potential partners and adopt effective forms of alliances, and manage alliances effectively. |
