Summary:

At a recent conference on the subject of higher education in less-developed regions of China, Minister of Education Chen Baosheng strongly reiterated the country’s support for the National Comprehensive University Improvement Project, also known as the “One Province One University” project.

This project provides additional support and funding to 14 provincial universities across 13 of China’s comparatively less-developed provinces (in contrast to the project’s name, two universities in Xinjiang are included). The Minister reiterated the MoE’s policy of giving participants in this project the same level of support as universities that are directly affiliated to the Ministry. It is aimed to help to develop high-quality higher education in these regions and address the imbalance of education resources between China’s more-developed coastal regions and poorer inland areas.

The 14 universities involved in this project are Hebei University, Shanxi University, Inner Mongolia University, Nanchang University in Jiangxi, Zhengzhou University, Guangxi University, Hainan University, Guizhou University, Tibet University, Yunnan University, Qinghai University, Ningxia University, Xinjiang University, and Shihezi University in Xinjiang. These universities represent the top research universities in their respective provinces or autonomous regions, and have also formed the “Z-14” alliance to represent their interests.

Analysis by Kevin Prest

Support for higher education in central and western parts of China has been an important part of China’s HE policy for a number of years. Regional disparities between wealthier and less-developed parts of the country are one of the central government’s most important concerns, and the education sector is one area with particularly strong imbalance in resources. The increased support given to Z-14 universities means that there is strong potential for international cooperation at these institutions.

Sources:

Make Great Efforts to Promote Ministry-Province Cooperation and Develop New Prospects for Higher Education in Central and Western Regions (Ministry of Education, in Chinese): http://www.moe.edu.cn/jyb_xwfb/gzdt_gzdt/moe_1485/201803/t20180301_328359.html