Summary

The most recent list of Chinese HE institutions from the Ministry of Education has revealed a large increase in the number of new colleges offering higher vocational diplomas. The number of these colleges has increased by 54, the biggest change since 2006.

The large majority of these colleges are in inland parts of the country which are generally less developed than the wealthier coastal provinces. Sichuan has seen the biggest increase, with 17 new colleges taking the total in the province to 74, and nine of the top 10 provinces or autonomous regions in terms of new higher vocational colleges are located in central and western China.

In contrast to the large increase in higher vocational colleges, the change in the number of universities has been much smaller. Only three new institutions have been granted the right to offer bachelor's degrees from 2019.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, British Council International Education Services

These changes show a continued rebalancing of China's HE priorities towards vocational education. This is in line with statements made by Li Keqiang at the National People's Congress in March, when the Premier promised to greatly increase government support for vocational education and also made commitments to improving educational resources in less-developed parts of the country. Meanwhile the much slower growth in bachelor's degree institutions shows that China continues to focus on quality over quantity at this level of education.

As in previous years, the MoE's latest list of approved HE institutions is also a useful resource for UK institutions looking to confirm the status of a potential Chinese partner.

Sources

1. Ministry of Education: 2019 List of Higher Education Institutions (in Chinese): http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xxgk/s5743/s5744/201906/t20190617_386200.html

2. British Council International Services: Education reform in China's "Two Sessions" (March 2019): https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/news/market-news/education-reform-chinas-two-sessions

3. British Council International Services: China's State Council announces plan for vocational education reform to 2022 (March 2019): https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/news/market-news/chinas-state-council-announces-plan-vocational-education-reform-2022