IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i18p8068-d1478756.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Influence of Policy Investment on the Sustainable Development of Universities in Underdeveloped Regions: An Empirical Analysis of China’s Higher Education Landscape

Author

Listed:
  • Pan Liang

    (School of Public Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
    Office of the Party Committee and the President, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)

Abstract

The regional disparity in higher education development is critical for the sustainable advancement of the national education system. To address this issue, the Chinese government has implemented targeted support policies for higher education in underdeveloped regions, with the “Ministry-Province Co-construction Policy” serving as a notable example. This study investigates the impact of such policies on the development of universities in China’s underdeveloped central and western regions. First, the study analyzes policy documents to identify six primary policy pathways through high-frequency word extraction, social semantic analysis, and path integration. These policy pathways are quantified using representative indicators, which constitute the independent variables of the study. Second, by employing the framework of modern university functions, the study develops a sustainable development indicator system for higher education institutions. The performance scores for the sustainable development of 14 universities, derived using the entropy method, serve as the dependent variables. The study subsequently measures the effects of individual and combined policy pathways through two equations. The results indicate that some pathways are more effective than others. While all combined policy pathways yield positive effects, an excessive number of combinations can lead to diminishing returns. Finally, the study elucidates the measurement results, emphasizing that effective pathways highlight the essential roles of faculty, research, and teaching. Conversely, less effective pathways stem from inadequate inputs or slow responses. Although combined policy pathways generally exert positive impacts, an overabundance of combinations can dilute these benefits. The study suggests that administrative support for higher education in underdeveloped regions is advantageous. It underscores the necessity of distinguishing between more and less effective input methods, concentrating on resource allocation, and ensuring universities’ autonomy in utilizing support resources to achieve sustainable development in higher education within these regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Pan Liang, 2024. "The Influence of Policy Investment on the Sustainable Development of Universities in Underdeveloped Regions: An Empirical Analysis of China’s Higher Education Landscape," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-25, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:18:p:8068-:d:1478756
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/18/8068/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/18/8068/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edwin E. Akins & Elizabeth Giddens & David Glassmeyer & Amy Gruss & Maria Kalamas Hedden & Vanessa Slinger-Friedman & Matthew Weand, 2019. "Sustainability Education and Organizational Change: A Critical Case Study of Barriers and Change Drivers at a Higher Education Institution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Mika Nieminen, 2009. "Influence of research funding and science policy on university research performance: A comparison of five countries," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 36(6), pages 419-430, July.
    3. Michael Howlett, 2009. "Governance modes, policy regimes and operational plans: A multi-level nested model of policy instrument choice and policy design," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 42(1), pages 73-89, February.
    4. Preeta Hinduja & Razia Fakir Mohammad & Sohni Siddiqui & Shahnaz Noor & Altaf Hussain, 2023. "Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan: A Systematic Review of Progress and Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-19, February.
    5. Borrás, Susana & Edquist, Charles, 2013. "The choice of innovation policy instruments," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(8), pages 1513-1522.
    6. Junseop Shim & Chisung Park & Mark Wilding, 2015. "Identifying policy frames through semantic network analysis: an examination of nuclear energy policy across six countries," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 48(1), pages 51-83, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hilde Nykamp, 2020. "Policy Mix for a Transition to Sustainability: Green Buildings in Norway," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Trotter, Philipp A. & Brophy, Aoife, 2022. "Policy mixes for business model innovation: The case of off-grid energy for sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(6).
    3. Naimeh Mohammadi & Hamid Mostofi & Hans-Liudger Dienel, 2023. "Policy Chain of Energy Transition from Economic and Innovative Perspectives: Conceptual Framework and Consistency Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-27, August.
    4. Acciai, Claudia, 2021. "The politics of research and innovation: Understanding instrument choices in complex governance environments – the case of France and Italy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).
    5. Bergquist, Ann-Kristin & Keskitalo, E. Carina H., 2016. "Regulation versus deregulation. Policy divergence between Swedish forestry and the Swedish pulp and paper industry after the 1990s," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 10-17.
    6. Liotard, Isabelle & Revest, Valérie, 2018. "Contests as innovation policy instruments: Lessons from the US federal agencies' experience," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 57-69.
    7. Nicola Andreij Rieg & Birgitta Gatersleben & Ian Christie, 2021. "Organizational Change Management for Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Quantitative Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-18, June.
    8. Reichardt, Kristin & Rogge, Karoline S. & Negro, Simona, 2015. "Unpacking the policy processes for addressing systemic problems: The case of the technological innovation system of offshore wind in Germany," Working Papers "Sustainability and Innovation" S2/2015, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    9. Bhardwaj, Chandan & Axsen, Jonn & Kern, Florian & McCollum, David, 2020. "Why have multiple climate policies for light-duty vehicles? Policy mix rationales, interactions and research gaps," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 309-326.
    10. Caloffi, Annalisa & Freo, Marzia & Ghinoi, Stefano & Mariani, Marco & Rossi, Federica, 2022. "Assessing the effects of a deliberate policy mix: The case of technology and innovation advisory services and innovation vouchers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(6).
    11. Joan K. Tisdale & Angela R. Bielefeldt, 2023. "Instructors’ Perspectives on Enhancing Sustainability’s Diffusion into Mechanical Engineering Courses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, December.
    12. Giliberto Capano & Andrea Lippi, 2017. "How policy instruments are chosen: patterns of decision makers’ choices," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 50(2), pages 269-293, June.
    13. Jill Johnes, 2018. "University rankings: What do they really show?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 115(1), pages 585-606, April.
    14. Fleck, Ann-Katrin & Anatolitis, Vasilios, 2023. "Achieving the objectives of renewable energy policy – Insights from renewable energy auction design in Europe," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    15. Caner Bakir, 2017. "How can interactions among interdependent structures, institutions, and agents inform financial stability? What we have still to learn from global financial crisis," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 50(2), pages 217-239, June.
    16. Dziallas, Marisa & Blind, Knut, 2019. "Innovation indicators throughout the innovation process: An extensive literature analysis," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 80, pages 3-29.
    17. Dayashankar Maurya, 2019. "Understanding public health insurance in India: A design perspective," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(4), pages 1633-1650, October.
    18. Hans Pohl, 2021. "Internationalisation, innovation, and academic–corporate co-publications," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(2), pages 1329-1358, February.
    19. Pangbourne, Kate & Mladenović, Miloš N. & Stead, Dominic & Milakis, Dimitris, 2020. "Questioning mobility as a service: Unanticipated implications for society and governance," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 35-49.
    20. Sabine Saurugger & Fabien Terpan, 2016. "Do crises lead to policy change? The multiple streams framework and the European Union’s economic governance instruments," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 49(1), pages 35-53, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:18:p:8068-:d:1478756. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.