A New Paradigm of Institutional Governance of China’s Transnational Higher Education (TNHE): from local divergence towards global convergence?

In response to neoliberalism, marketisation, and the country's developmental needs, governance of transnational higher education (TNHE) in China is undergoing significant changes. This study investigates the evolving national governance paradigm in TNHE institutions in China. Using a qualitative approach, it analyzes seven pertinent legal documents related to TNHE governance in China by employing indicators based on a multi-dimensional autonomy analysis framework. The findings suggest that despite the emphasis on decentralisation, centralization remains predominant in TNHE governance in China, with marketisation serving as a managerial tool. This leads to the characterization of the national paradigm as "economy-driven centralisation". Moreover, the study proposes that global societal and governance evolution is moving towards "Harmonious Governance", with politics, economics, technology, and culture increasingly integrating worldwide. Future research should explore comparative and critical studies across different countries to further examine this trend. 为了应对新自由主义、市场化以及国家发展需求，中国的跨国高等教育（TNHE）治理正经历重大变化。本研究调查了中国TNHE机构中不断演变的国家治理范式。通过质性研究方法，采用基于多维自主性分析框架的指标，分析了七份与中国TNHE治理相关的法律文件。研究结果表明，尽管强调去中心化，但中心化在中国TNHE治理中仍然占据主导地位，市场化则作为一种管理工具。这导致了国家范式被描述为“经济驱动的中心化”。此外，本研究提出，全球社会和治理的发展正朝着“和谐治理”方向演变，政治、经济、技术和文化在全球范围内日益融合。未来的研究应探索不同国家之间的比较和批判性研究，以进一步审视这一趋势。