---------TsinghuaUniversitya Case Study
Song Gilsun, Kang Feiyu
School ofContinuing Education
Tsinghua University
ABSTRACT
Research projects in the Research Centre at SCE (SchoolofContinuing Education),TsinghuaUniversity, currently focus on specific key areas:
l Organizing all staffs to develop continuing education research ability for establishing a learning and research school. Each department maintains their own school-appointed research projects which aim to upgrade school development; each year investments are approximately 20,000 dollars.
l Charged with important domestic and foreign research and research projects, SCE is looking forward to establishing an international education training brand along withTsinghuaUniversityand establishing a world-class university.
The core of 21rst century international competition focuses on high quality human resources including quantity and quality directly provided by universities. AfterChinaentered the WTO, a lack of high quality human resources became one of the most apparent problems. Solutions to this problem gradually opened higher education and helped popularize continuing education at the university level. The Chinese government has produced a continuing education research plan called “Looking Toward the 21rst Century Education Promotion Action Plan” to help achieve its goal of a knowledge-based society (Ministry of Education, 1999). The role of continuing education is now established inChinaas a means for promoting a knowledge-based society.
Universities inChinatoday are large bureaucratic institutions with little flexibility. This situation provides continuing education with the opportunity to address the gaps or tensions in the system by offering programs that are more responsive to education resource providers, that better meet learners’ needs, and that also allow for a stronger development of values and human resources at the university level. This paper takes up the SCE (SchoolofContinuing Education) ofTsinghuaUniversityas a case study and explains the combination of university mission and identity with that of the field of continuing education. Through various activities of the SCE, it can be seen that the expansion of continuing education research is having a theoretical and practical effect on university and societal development.
Introduction
The University’s fundamental missions are teaching, research, and public service. Chinese higher education promotes the advancement of knowledge and the pursuit of cooperation locally, nationally, and internationally. It develops in people a respect for the dignity and worth of the individual, a capacity for critical reasoning and a desire for learning. Therefore, expanding higher education inChinathrough continuing education has developed high quality human resources in quantity and quality issues in universities. Especially, in the 1990’s the University mission rapidly increased the extension of the boundaries of knowledge through research and scholarship. This was the result of developing ideas and the facing of issues and challenges in a knowledge based economic society that rely on information technology, innovation, knowledge creation, development of human resources, and cultivation of skills. At the same time, people withinChinabecame aware of several facts concerning policy development, including the need to establish a lifelong learning system and the requirements of a learning society. The popularization of higher education, the need to educate migratory workers and provide new employment resulted in economic development and reformation of the economy. All of these factors converged in the realization of the need for building continuing education models in higher education. As a result of the change in learning paradigms, internationally and domestically, continuing education and research has fast become important not only as a model in formal and informal education, but also in national projects for establishing lifelong learning systems and a learning society.
The above circumstances have led to an expansion of university public service through research in an effort to produce a more mature continuing education field. Universities have gradually emphasized their mission statements and identity in support of continuing education activities, such as professional training, vocational certificates, adult degree education, and online education.
2. TheResearchCenterin SCE, andTsinghuaUniversity
In 2001, at the APEC Conference inShanghai,China, President Zhang Zemin stated, “To face 21rst century opportunities and challenges, we have to establish a continuing education system and set up a learning society” (Continuing Education Research Communication, 2005). In 2005, December 1st and 2nd, the “Continuing Education Forum,” supported by Hong Kong University Seminar focused on university and continuing education communication, cooperation and research. The main content of the seminar was the trend and strategy of continuing education development. University administration, professors, and researchers discussed the lack specialization methods, evaluation, and management processes in the continuing education and research field inChina. These two events express some of the first times continuing education has been shown large-scale support by universities and government. With these types of activities university mission and identity have started to expand to include continuing education research.
With the popularization of higher education and knowledge in the economic age of the 21rst century, continuing education development based in universities not only faces new challenges and can put forth new methods for educating, researching and developing continuing education strategies, but also will bring about hard-won development opportunities and achievements. Continuing education service in top universities should require high-level training, transformation and innovation of training, and provide high level, high quality, and high efficiency education service. If the universities want to carry out this goal, their mission statements and identities must reflect a change away from outmoded methodologies lacking in standardization and carry out a mature system based on scientific management mechanisms, operations of professional development concerning faculty, market opening, curriculum design, and a brand of teaching management based on a strong foundation of continuing education research.
To adapt with professional continuing education development, SCE requires all staffs to develop continuing education research abilities, and enhance SCE independent research through their own university development plans and strategies. In 2000, the National Continuing Education Society of Colleges and Universities was founded withTsinghuaUniversityas the Director-General unit. Tsinghua University sticks to the educational spirit of "multi-level, multi-form, high-quality, high-efficiency, distinguished, elite and international-oriented" education and research under the tenet "education serves the society" in the service function field. Through this Tsinghua encourages SCE to create a college culture of "initiative, helpfulness, rigorousness, practicality, efficiency, and creativity.”
With the aid and support of outstanding teaching resources, a broad international reputation, and successful cooperative relationships internationally and domestically of Tsinghua University, SCE established theResearchCenterin 2002 in order to focus on and develop continuing education research inChina. The establishment of the Research Center in SCE has affected a change in the university mission statement and identity in the recognition that continuing education cannot only bring about economic development, but also expand related functions of the university’s research areas. At the establishment of theResearchCenter,TsinghuaUniversitysuggested three developmental considerations.
First, that the work of theResearchCenterwill reinforce research on continuing education training. AlthoughTsinghuaUniversitysustains high achievements and maintains high-quality resources, little work has been done in the transfer of these resources to the continuing education field. TheResearchCentermust work toward order in education training and consummate management operation systems in continuing education..
Second, continuing education research has to unite closely with practice and accomplish specific achievements. At the same time, the Research Centre must bring about an outstanding learning culture in SCE, improve the research consciousness of the staff in SCE, and aim at becoming a learning organization.
Third,TsinghuaUniversityhas gainedBeijing’s support and willingness to provide service for capital development. The Research Centre at SCE must follow along with its tenet of service to society and must increase service considerations, and establish a Beijing Learning community, and gradually expand a learning society inChina.
These three suggestions fromTsinghuaUniversityare a part of the goal to establish a world-class university in the service field. They represent a mission statement and university identity that is fast becoming aware of the vast importance of continuing education research and development inChina.
3．Continuing Education Research Structure and Function
TheResearchCenterin SCE will enhance the education training curriculum, administer operation modes, oversea quality management systems, technology platforms, market systems, and online education development through professional higher continuing education research. Therefore, research should combine with theory and practice to provide a learning atmosphere, promoting a research consciousness and establishing a learning organization. The Research Centre in SCE set up six virtual institutes composed of professors, staff, and administrators. These virtual institutes do not maintain their own separate facilities, but exist within the Research Centre. The make up of the research members consists of full-time and part-time staff as shown in “Picture 1.”
Picture 1) Full-time and part-time staff in the Research Centre
The (chart 1) explains that Research Centre is provided staff, professors, researchers, experts from SCE andTsinghuaUniversity.
The first part consists of a full-time research staff who make up the core research group and run the research center. Some of this staff develop research projects as well as teach, so they have double positions.
The second part, operational department staff, is separated into six institutes in SCE. They maintain training operations and also expand research related training projects. Staff in each department in SCE allows 30% of employees to take part in part-time research work. Their research work must occupy 20% of their own working time..
The third part, made up of well-known professors and researchers fromTsinghuaUniversity, are part-time staff. They deal with training consultation and take part in collaborative research activities.
The research center supported by SCE andTsinghuaUniversityprovides the main research directions, such as life-long learning, modern distance continuing education, vocational training, and international cooperation training and practice.
3.1 Organization of Research Centre and Virtual Institutes
TheResearchCenterconsists of the top Academic Committee, the Secretariat, and 6 institutes which consist of the Life-long Learning Institute, Long-distance Education Institute, Vocational Training Institute, International Cooperative Education Institute, Educational Poverty Reduction Institute, and the Foreign Language Education Institute. The Academic Committee guide projects, and is composed of the SCE dean and vice dean, and faculty from Tsinghua university. The Secretariat members are the Research Centre staff who organize and correspond with each step of project processes.
Picture 2) Organization of Research Centre and Virtual Institutes
- Life-long learning Institute;
The Life-long learning Institute holds lifelong learning forums, establishes life-long learning demonstrations, and furthers continuing education publications through national projects. These activities aid in the development of the continuing education research field and discuss the identity of the Chinese lifelong learning system. The Life-long Learning Institute finished the project, “Establishing Theory and Practice inChina’s Life-long Learning System.” This project developed related theory research and experimental application work.
- Long-distance Education Institute;
The Long-distance Education Institute focuses on online distance continuing education research at the university level. Through the planning and organizing of modern distance education academic workshops and publication activities, the institute enhances online distance education technology research and development in order to promote new distance education models and lead the modern distance education development direction inChina.
- Vocational Training Institute
The Vocational training Institute is responsible for basic theory and application of research related vocational training. Their purpose is to improve theory and guide vocational training in SCE and provide a learning organization. Most of their research projects focus on building market systems, developing curriculum, human resources, quality management systems, and adult skills training.
- International Cooperative Education Institute
The International Cooperative Education Institute specializes in international education cooperation between foreign countries and SCE to adopt high-quality, international education resources, develop SCE international cooperation opportunities, and seek successful international cooperation research projects.
- Educational Poverty Reduction Institute
Educational Poverty Reduction Institute researches national education poverty reduction related policy, situations, issues, and problems. They use ICT to spread knowledge and education resources to poverty-stricken areas throughoutChina’s developing provinces. The Educational Poverty Reduction Institute maintains the Tsinghua University Education Poverty Reduction office in SCE.
- Foreign Language Education Institute
Along with globalization, international communication and cooperation is becoming increasingly important and essential. Many vocations and fields require language skills for example, high levels of English. This institute accounts for problems of foreign language education and provides support and instruction in theory and practice in this area..
These six virtual institutes in the Research Centre provide practical, theoretical, and technical support for continuing education information and research projects. The reason for this system is to focus on the research ability of staff and employees through dynamic and diverse units based on open development and ability. This system provides an excellent bridge between SCE andTsinghuaUniversityin promoting a common mission. Faculty members fromTsinghuaUniversityare allowed a chance to understand SCE research activities and recognize the importance of continuing education research in university development.
3.2 Continuing Education Research Projects
Research projects in the Research Centre organize all staffs to develop continuing education research abilities for establishing a learning and research school. Each department maintains their own school-appointed research projects which aim to upgrade school development. Each year investments total approximately 20,000 US dollars. There are currently three areas in which SCE is working, SCE developmental projects, national research projects, and international projects. Table 1 lists all SCE developmental research projects.
Table 1) “SCE Developmental Research Projects (Does not include projects under 40,000 RMB)
| Title of Project | Content | Expense (RMB) | Virtual Institute | Time | Outcome |
1 | Teaching methods in Foreign language and culture training | Chinese language training in International markets, Require Language training modes Demonstration of possible training teaching modes | 50,000 | Foreign Language Education Institute | 2005- 2006 | Final report, Conference, lecture |
2 | Research on University Continuing education resources | Put forward management systems for multimedia courseware to actualize courseware digital media. SCE courseware knowledge property right project and popularization of a series of methods and statutes | 50,000 | Long-distance Education Institute | 2005- 2006 | Survey report, Articles |
3 | development and extension of training items (case study) | Analysis: how to extend theory and practical training items in the education market | 80,000 | Vocational Training Institute | 2005- 2006 | Case study, report, articles |
4 | Research on Continuing education institute operating modes | Compare domestic and foreign continuing education institute operation modes | 80,000 | Research Centre | 2005- 2006 | Articles, Report, seminar |
5 | Theory and practice in Educational poverty reduction | Poverty reduction patterns and International cooperation | 100,000 | Education Poverty Reduction Institute | 2004．4- 2004．12 | Research report and articles |
6 | Establishing Continuing education based on university facilitation systems | Basic theory and practical situation of Facilitator training system | 50,000 | Vocational Training Institute | 2004．4- 2004．12 | Report, seminar |
7 | Theory and practice ofEnterprisetraining through ICT | EstablishingEnterpriseTraining Technology Platform Resources: How to Provide Online Training for Enterprisers. Providing a SCE Distance EducationMissionand Mode. | 100,000 | Distance education Institute | 2003．10-2004．12 | Report Articles conference |
8 | Research on University Continuing education: development and frame | Search for continuing education development based on university, Research, market operations and education training frames | 100,000 | Vocational Training Institute | 2004．4- 2004．12 | Reports articles |
Foreign and Domestic Research Projects
Charged with important domestic and foreign research and research projects, SCE is looking forward to establishing an international education training brand along withTsinghuaUniversityand establishing a world-class university. International collaborative projects will be benchmarked with advanced CE evaluation, human resource and management tools, etc. Table 2) illustrates SCE’s representative national and international research projects.
Table 2) “National and International Projects”
| Title of Project | Content | Investors | Expense | Virtual Institute | Time |
1 | Theory and practice of lifelong learning | Basic theory of Learning community; Learning community technical platform and resources; Learning community demonstration (four cities chosen; Ma-Anshan, Ningxia, Beijing Chaoyang district, Zhongchan Politics department army. | Ministry Of EducationChina (MOE) | 3,000,000 | Life-long learning Institute | 2003．7- 2005．12 |
2 | Web college demonstration project | Establishing eLearning conditions inChina (SCE is one of the demonstration places) | MOE | 8,000,000 | Long- distance Education Institute | 2003．10- 2004．12 |
3 | CUTE I.II China and England Cambridge university English teaching training | University Faculty inChinaimprove English levels in order to write articles and give presentations in international conferences. | Cambridge university | ? | Foreign Language Education Institute | 2003-2004(I) 2004-2005 (II) |
Currently, the Research Centre is in the process of applying for two MoE (Ministry of Education) projects:
1. “Education Broadcasting and Reception Gridding Experiment”
(coordinator, Research Centre, SCE,TsinghuaUniversity)
2. “Establishing a Countryside Level 3 Platform-Develop 6 Types of Learning Resources” (coordinator, Research Centre, SCE)
TheResearchCenteris in the process of submitting one of the projects with foreign partners at Asia Link in 2006 and, at the same time, is also participating in two Asian link projects;
1. “Making Business in Eur-Asia (coordinator; Research Centre, Tsinghua University)” To design a courses on a master’s level in making business in EUR-ASIA and expand the idea of the “Making Business in Eur-Asia” with different modules that cover different countries in Asia and Europe
2. BenchmarkingEur-AsiaUniversityContinuing Education Centers
(a participant; Research Centre)”
3. “Development of QM models in EU and Asian Universities Based on a Euro-Asian Quality Management Network (a participant; Research Centre,TsinghuaUniversity)”
The SCE developmental research projects as well as its national and international research projects represent a common mission and identity betweenTsinghuaUniversityand SCE. This research and cooperation, not only between foreign partners, but also among the many faculty from different areas of expertise inTsinghuaUniversitycontribute to furthering continuing education research.
Conclusion
Functions of a university include teaching, research, and public service. Top universities inChinaare looking toward diversity, research, and opening up to the outside world. Continuing education research based in universities is the embodiment of university service to society. While a university obtains economic benefit through from continuing education, continuing education research also expands the university’s reputation, identity and mission.. Through knowledge creation, dissemination, and application, the training of high quality human resources has become another important channel of funding using the university brand. Expanding continuing education and research, no matter what social benefit or economic benefit, has very important results in both theory and practice. Continuing education research based in university has become increasingly importance in the mission and identity of a university.
How can we combine research in continuing education with university mission and identity? It is always very difficult for employees based in university continuing education to improve the quality and level of education training and service. As Chinese society has come to gradually accept the idea that “education is a kind of investment,” continuing education begins to demand more space in university development. At the same time, competition in the education market is increasing daily. Research activity brings about new issues and challenges in the continuing education field, the university, the education market, and society.
InChinacontinuing education maintains a position outside of the mission and identity of university development; however, presently, continuing education has increasingly become important and it has gradually moved from the edge to the center of the higher education field. Universities have recognized that continuing education is a very important road to public service. Through expanded continuing education research, a university is able to spread a learning culture, and, at the same time, spread a social spirit and establish an identity and common mission between the university and the field of continuing education.
References
“SixthChannelTwainShoreContinuing Education Forum..” SiChuan University Continuing Education Research Communication (Second Edition, inside report ): Science Education Research CentreSiChuanuniversity. 2005.
Wangyisheng. “Research on 100 year old Chinese Universities Culture..” Project Demonstration Report, held byTsinghuaUniversity,BeijingUniversityand Higher Education Publishing Company. 2005.
“Continuing Education Research Projects Guide Lines” Research Centre in SCE. 2004 and 2005.
“Continuing Education Research Projects Table.” Research Centre in SCE
Introduction to theSchoolofContinuing Educationand Research Centre.
Continuing Education Training Courses Information in theSchoolofContinuing Education.
< http://www.oa.tsinghua.edu.cn/>
