Reality and Myth in Higher Education Governance in Greater China

Abstract

<p> The term “governance” refers to all those structures, processes, and activities that are involved in the planning and direction of the institutions and people working in higher education (Hénard and Mitterle <a title="Hénard, F., & Mitterle, A. (2010). Governance and quality guidelines in higher education: A review of governance arrangements and quality assurance guidelines. Paris: OECD." href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-13-2262-4_225-1#ref-CR2">2010</a>). Over the past few decades, it has become a central buzzword of political speeches and scholarly publications. Linking to neoliberal policies and the process of globalization, when people talk about governance they are talking about “global neoliberal governance.” In higher education throughout much of the world, a shift has often been reported in the relationships between universities and the state. Governance reforms in different societies have been documented to follow a similar pattern: moving from the control model to the supervisory model in nearly all aspects of the relationships. The old model of total control from a central ministry of education has been seen to be unsustainable especially in the long term. The direct and detailed central involvement is being... <br></p>