disciplines of western 211Us don’t show anyfluctuations and stagnations as NEAM
disciplines. Searching for the reasons, we think that there are differences between
HSS disciplines and NEAM disciplines in their internal logics of research advances.
To NEAM disciplines, their research activities are heavily relied on advanced
facilities, laboratories, platforms, and high-profile researchers. But to HSS disci-
plines, their research might be not so heavily relied on the advanced facilities and
other conditions, which would reduce the impacts of limited budget and disad-
vantaged locations for the western 211Us to some extent.
Second, the cumulative average of HSS research PTEC indexes of 211Us are
decreased during thefive years in all regions. To eastern 211Us, central 211Us,
western 211Us, JUs, HSZUs and OUs, theirfive-year PTEC indexes are cumula-
tively decreased by 27.6, 40.6, 21.1, 30.3, 28.1 and 22.7% respectively.
Third, the cumulative average of HSS research SEC indexes of 211Us are all
increased during thefive years in most all regions, excepting western region.
However, in NEAM disciplines, SEC index is in prevalently cumulative downtrend
among all regions. The SEC index of western 211Us is cumulatively decreased by
16.3% in thesefive years, those of eastern 211Us, central 211Us, JUs, HSZUs and
OUs, are cumulatively increased by 16.6, 18.2, 20.7, 12.3, and 15.1% separately.
Concerning this difference between NEAM disciplines and HSS disciplines, we
think that they are mainly attributable to the fact that, as factors such as discipline
settings, comparability and feasibility of input-output indicators, in the process of
building up world-class university, most 211Us pay much more attention to
absolute inputs and outputs in NEAM disciplines, resulting into the inefficiency in
SEC.
Forth, the cumulative decrease of PTEC index can straightly result into the
cumulative declines of TEC index in all regions. In eastern 211Us, central 211Us,
western 211Us, JUs, HSZUs and OUs, their PTEC indexes are cumulatively
decreased by 15.6, 29.8, 33.9, 15.8, 18.1, and 11% separately. Because TEC index
can comprehensively measure the status of resource allocations and managerial
institutions of university research production, thefinding above reflects that in
2006 – 2010, most 211Us ignore the importance of optimizing resource allocations.
From the long-term perspective, if this situation persisted, the research productivity
improvements of HSS disciplines in most 211Us would be restricted.
5.4 Conclusions..........................................
In this chapter, we employ Malmquist-TFP index to measure the NEAM and HSS
research productivity changes of“211 Project”universities (211Us) in China in
2006 – 2010, and further decompose the TFP index into TC index and PTE index.
Then we use two category variables,“entering 985 Project or not”and“the regional
5.3 Differences and Trends on 211Us’Research Productivity by Location 243