Chapter 7
Concluding Remarks and Policy
Implications
In today’s world, innovation capacity in science and technology has become the
determinant of a nation’s comprehensive power, andfirst-class research universities
are the essential bases for sustainably fostering innovative products and nurturing
innovative talents. It’s no doubt that the possession of world-class research uni-
versities, is not only a mark of the development level of a country’s higher edu-
cation, but also an evidence of the innovation capacity of one country, as well as a
symbol of the country’s comprehensive strength, and an urgent need for a country’s
economic and social development reaching a certain stage. As a result, at this key
stage of upgrading human capital and transforming economic and industrial
structure, it’s a necessity to build up a group of world-class universities for guar-
anteeing the long-term stability of Chinese society and economy in the new normal.
In fact, as early as 1990s, starting from the efforts to prompt the development of
higher education, Chinese government also used the traditional advantage of cen-
tralized power to support a group of key universities through“211 Project”,“ 985
Project”and“Project of World-Class Universities and Disciplines”, in order to build
China into a nation powerful in world higher education by the middle of 21st century.
Based on this background, our book focuses on the issues of research efficiency
in Chinese research universities, taking 211Us as the sample to examine their
research performances from the perspectives of input, output, efficiency and pro-
ductivity changes. We measured the research efficiency and productivity changes
for NEAM and HSS disciplines in the third term of“211 Project”separately, and
compared the efficiency status of 211Us by region and level, and constructed the
indicator system of influencing factors to further discuss what impacts on university
research efficiency. Our research findings can provide evidence and relative
information for the future construction project like“building up world-class uni-
versities and world-class disciplines”, so as to provide useful information for
facilitating the intensified development mode for Chinese research universities and
improve the levels of scientific innovations.
This chapterfirst summarizes the majorfindings about inputs, outputs, efficiency,
productivity and influencing factors from results in Chaps. 4 – 6 , and then makes
©Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017
Y. Hu et al.,Evaluating Research Efficiency of Chinese Universities,
New Frontiers of Educational Research, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-4030-6_7