Theory and Practice on Classification of Higher Education Institutions

Abstract: The classification of higher education institutions (HEIs) means dividing and groupingthe HEIs according to both their common features and different characteristics in acomprehensive and systematic manner; in this process, some standards will be established,some methods will be resorted to and some principles should be abided by. In recent years,classification of HEIs has gradually become a hot spot in higher education research.Actually it is not only a theoretical problem, but also a very practical problem. Scientificand reasonable classification of HEIs can help the government to guide the HEIs in amacroscopic and differentiated way, help the HEIs to find their correct orientations,cultivate their own special features and operate themselves autonomously in better responseto the society, and it can also help all circles in the society to better understand the HEIsand supervise the HEIs as well. Classification of HEIs is a difficult problem throughout the world. Every county in theworld has its own higher education system, its special types of HEIs and unique ways toclassify the HEIs. In order to adjust to the social changes and people’s diversified demandson higher education, HEIs have to keep changing all the time; therefore the classification ofHEIs have to reflect all these changes. In this sense, the classification of HEIs is by nomeans something which can be done once and for ever, but always changing and dynamic.The research into this ever-changing problem is quite important both theoretically andpractically, because it can better reveal the evolution of the types of HEIs and also enhancethe development of HEIs. This dissertation consists of 6 chapters: Chapter 1 is the introduction. In this chapter, the reasons of choosing this topic areexpatiated, all relative literature on the research of HEIs classification is reviewed, thesignificance, methodology and paths of research are also analyzed. Chapter 2 first takes a look at the development and classification of universities in theMiddle Ages, as we all know the universities in the Middle Ages are considered to be theorigin of modern HEIs; then the chapter probes into the development and classification ofHEIs in those countries with advanced higher education: France, Germany, the UnitedKingdom, Australia, Japan and the United States. The research reveals that there exists arelationship of mutual restriction, mutual penetration and mutual enhancement between the IIIevolution of the types of HEIs and social development. The classification of HEIs in eachcountry is also closely related to the country’s conditions and higher education practice. Chapter 3 explores into the development of modern Chinese HEIs with a special focuson the evolution of the types of HEIs. By introducing and commenting both the officialclassification and the classification made by the researchers, the real problems in theclassification of HEIs in China are also revealed. Chapter 4 first looks into some of the classification theories and narrows the researchscope “from type to classification, and then to classification of HEIs”; then differentiatesthe classification of HEIs from the classification of higher education, the establishment ofHEIs, and the assessment and ranking of HEIs so as to identify the real essence of theclassification of HEIs; then some theoretical problems of the classification of HEIs arediscussed from the perspectives of functions of HEIs, resource distribution, knowledgedifferentiation and social demands; this chapter holds the idea that the types of HEIs arealways subject to changes, and they are relative and comprehensive as well; as a matter offact, it is a very difficult task to give each type of HEIs a special name; and in the processof classifying the HEIs, several pairs of contradictions have to be dealt with, they are: thecontradiction between fact description and value judgment, the contr…
Key words: Types of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs); Classification of HEIs; A Multi-dimensional and Dynamic Classification Framework; Classification-based Development of HEIs