Transformation Of Higher Education In Innovation Systems In China And Finland

This book publishes selected papers of the 2nd Sino-Finland Higher Education Forum – Transformation of Higher Education in Innovation Systems in China and Finland, held in Tampere, Finland in 2011. The Forum was jointly organised by the University of Tampere, University of Helsinki, Peking University and Beijing University of Technology. The aim was to bring the higher education researchers, policy makers, administrators and other experts together to exchange experiences and views and to explore current challenges of the role of higher education in innovation systems with a particular focus on China and Finland. Ideally, new ideas and best practices could be found by comparing the systems and the policies. The papers selected from the forum are categorised into six sections, namely 1) Theoretical insights and emerging practices, 2) Finnish experiences, 3) Chinese higher education systems, 4) Roles of universities in innovation systems in China, 5) Transformations in Chinese higher education, 6) Comparative perspectives and cooperation between the two countries. The book is intended for researchers, administrators, policy makers as well as students of higher education policy and administration.

Higher education has been considered both an 'engine' for innovation and a 'catalyst' for sustainability development; the integration of both the innovation engine and sustainability catalyst roles are discussed in a recently published Special Issue on the theme of Higher Education in Innovation Ecosystems in the journal Sustainability. Based on 16 articles contributing to the Special Issue from various perspectives, the Special Issue editors have developed an overarching framework about the relationships between higher education and innovation ecosystems. In the framework, we re-define the concept of innovation ecosystem and identify emerging roles of universities in developing sustainable innovation ecosystems. Re-conceptualization of innovation ecosystems In the editorial of the Special Issue, innovation ecosystem is defined as: co-innovation networks in which actors from organizations concerned with the functions of knowledge production, wealth creation, and norm control interact with each other in forming co-evolution and interdependent relations (both direct or indirect) in cross-geographical contexts and through which new ideas and approaches from various internal and external sources are integrated into a platform to generate shared values for the sustainable transformation of society. Compared with most commonly cited definitions of innovation ecosystem, our definition highlights three new aspects of interactions in co-innovation networks: cross-sectoral, transnational, and indirect, drawing insights from the literature including innovation, geography, and biology studies. The roles of universities in innovation ecosystems The emerging roles of universities in innovation ecosystems are as follows: (1) The role of universities is changing from being a central player in technology transfer to being an anchor in knowledge exchange; (2) universities are assuming a new role in trust-building between actors in innovation ecosystems; and (3) universities are not merely an entrepreneurial universities but are also institutional entrepreneur in the innovation ecosystem. The three emerging roles all indicate that universities are becoming the catalysts for sustainable development in innovation ecosystems. Knowledge exchange is crucial for sustainability; trust is the foundation of the sustainable networks; social entrepreneurship is indispensable for sustainable social change. Evidence in wider contexts A total of 44 authors from 10 countries contributed to the discussions on the changing roles of higher education in innovation ecosystems from varying perspectives. They also report transformations within higher education and universities' responses to both external and internal transformations. When addressing these issues, the studies provide both theoretical and methodological contributions to the research on higher education in innovation ecosystems. The 16 articles can be generally placed into four categories: (1) new demands for universities arising from the transformation in society toward innovation ecosystems, (2) transformations within higher education responding to emerging societal demands, (3) dynamics of the interaction of university with other innovation actors in a transnational context, and (4) academic and student mobility for higher education innovation. Calling for a new research agenda While societal changes demand broader roles of universities, they also call for and leads to substantial changes within the internal fabric of the university. The innovations in both society and the universities necessitate a renewed understanding of higher education in society, which has become a new research agenda in studies on innovation in higher education. We hope our Special Issue will inspire and encourage more scholars to join the research field.

In spite of the increasing attention attributed to the rise in prominence of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, few studies have looked at the ways in which broader social expectations with respect to the role of higher education across the BRICS have changed, or not, in recent years. Our point of departure is that, contrary to the conventional wisdom focusing on functionalistic perspectives, higher education systems are not just designed by governments to fulfill certain functions, but have a tendency for evolving in a rather unpredictable fashion as a result of the complex interplay between a number of internal and external factors. In reality, national higher education systems develop and change according to a complex process that encompasses the expectations of governmental agencies, markets, the aspirations of the population for the benefits of education, the specific institutional traditions and cultures of higher education institutions, and, increasingly so, the interests and strategies of the private firms entering and offering services in the higher education market. This basically means that it is of outmost importance to move away from conceiving of "universities" or "higher education" as single, monolithic actors or sector. One way of doing this is by investigating a selected number of distinct, but nonetheless interrelated factors or drivers, which, taken together, help determine the nature and scope of the social compact between higher education (its core actors and institutions) and society at large (government, industry, local communities, professional associations).

This book discusses mass higher education development in East Asian countries by means of three main issues: the strategy for higher education development; the way professors and students in the region are experiencing the rapid developments; and the challenges imposed by mass higher education. These challenges include the quality of education as well as structural changes in the rapidly developing systems, funding sources for supporting mass higher education, and job markets for college graduates. Part I discusses how the East Asian countries have accomplished or are in the process of accomplishing the rapid development of higher education. Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong serve as case studies of mass higher education in the region. The case studies introduce and discuss national strategies to develop higher education, funding sources and mechanisms, and initiatives to assure quality of education in a period of rapid growth. Part II and Part III of the book focus on the phenomena of mass higher education in the region and the influence on academia. Mass higher education changes professors and students, who are different from those in elite higher education. Part III further discusses the challenges posed to Asian mass higher education. The Comparative and International Education Society Higher Education (HESIG) has awarded Mass Higher Education Development in East Asia the Higher Education SIG Best Book Award 2015.

This book closely examines how universities and higher educational institutions have come to occupy a very significant position in the Chinese national Iinnovation system (NIS) in the last two decades. It looks at the growth, structure and current status of higher education in China and discusses how these world-class institutions are intimately intertwined with the rise of China in the global knowledge economy. It studies themes such as the impact of Chinese universities on industry, business enterprises and national development, relevance of higher education to policies related to industry development, reform measures to improve research intensity and quality of teaching, and internationalization and globalization of higher education. Based on sound empirical research, it also explores concepts like academic entrepreneurship, start-ups and entrepreneurial ecosystems. A key text on the Chinese education sector, the book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of higher education, Chinese studies, science, technology and innovation studies, business economics and management, academic entrepreneurship and public policy.

"This first major study of the Nordic model of enterprising universities will be of interest to theoreticians, analysts and practitioners alike, not least for the valuable factual detail that enables exploration of numerous, sometimes idealistic, concepts that ignore the barriers to communication among epistemic communities."

This book deepens our understanding of how higher education governance has recently changed in the rapidly developing higher education systems of East Asia. Focusing on China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan, it explains the implications of how state-centered political systems interpret political and economic environments such as neoliberalism, as well as how each system is coping with global pressures. The book makes a valuable contribution to organization studies in higher education by investigating and detailing how individual higher education institutions are responding to their new environments.

This book examines how to create world-class, technology-oriented innovation in higher education in China. It also proposes a model in response to the demand for promoting scientific and technological advances and technological innovation in the Chinese higher education system. Moreover, the book explores key concepts, pathways, models, policies, practices, trends and implications, and offers insights into fostering innovation in higher education. Lastly, it discusses how public policy theories can be applied to promote university technology transfer in order to create world-class universities in today’s China.