English Papers by Futao Huang
This paper identifies the main characteristics of the governance styles of four-year universities... more This paper identifies the main characteristics of the governance styles of four-year universities in China and Japan, based on findings from a cross-national academic survey conducted using a common questionnaire in 2011-2012.The study reveals that, although changes have occurred in the governance arrangements of universities in both countries under the influence of the new public management, entrepreneurialism, and other factors, the two case studies do not confirm that every change in higher education governance in the two countries reflects the American model. Neither shared governance, corporate/entrepreneurial approaches, nor flexible/learning architectures have dominated arrangements in the two countries. Rather, while reforms in each country share some features in common with many systems, the two national systems embody two distinctive patterns of governance. From an international and comparative perspective, China is more characterized by a top-down style while Japan is more concerned with a bottom-up one. In contrast with Japan, the basic character of governance style in China has not been fundamentally changed. Neither the common nor the specific issues concerning governance of higher education in the two countries can be satisfactorily explained simply in terms of the numerical expansion of higher education enrollment as discussed by Trow, or other generic notions in the research literature. Rather, the specificities of each country, and the differences between them, must be explained in terms of the academic origins, traditions, cultural values, and especially the current political and social systems of China and Japan.
Key words: academic profession, governance, Asia survey, China, Japan, comparative study
Compared with North America, the United Kingdom and many European countries, almost all aspects o... more Compared with North America, the United Kingdom and many European countries, almost all aspects of higher education in East Asia since the late 19th century have been rigidly regulated and controlled by central government or colonial powers.
While the quality of the region’s universities has remained consistent, tremendous changes have occurred in higher education since the early 1990s as a result of both global/international factors and national contextual drivers.
Although these factors and drivers have affected quality assurance in individual countries and societies in different ways and to different degrees, similar patterns can be found across the region and similar challenges remain.
The purpose of this study is to describe an overview of changes to inbound international faculty ... more The purpose of this study is to describe an overview of changes to inbound international faculty members to Dutch higher education institutions, their main characteristics, and forces or agents of change which occurred in them, and the implications for Japanese higher education. The analysis and discussion are based primarily on official statistics issued by the Dutch government, professional associations, individual higher education institutions, earlier relevant literature, case studies and interviews with administrative and academic staff in the Netherlands. With regard to the structure, it begins with a short introduction to the Dutch higher education system and academic profession and then analyzes key characteristics of international faculty members being employed in Dutch higher education research universities. The third section deals with major forces and agents of change which affected international faculty members in Dutch higher education institutions. The article concludes by summarizing main findings and offering implications for research, policy, and practice.
The purpose of this study is to address the basic model of Japanese higher education financing me... more The purpose of this study is to address the basic model of Japanese higher education financing mechanisms, the main changes that have occurred in these mechanisms, and their influences on higher education development. This analysis is based on previous academic studies, national statistics, and case studies of three different sectors since the early 2000s. The analysis begins with a brief review of earlier studies and a description of the research framework. Subsequently, the study outlines the main characteristics of Japan’s higher education and the key features of its financing mechanisms. In the following part, the study analyzes major changes that have occurred in Japanese higher education financing in recent years, and key factors that have affected these changes. Furthermore, it discusses the major influences and outcomes of these financing mechanisms on higher education development and institutional strategies. The final part summarizes and offers implications for research, practice and educational development.
The paper shows that although there is still evidence of the impact of Soviet ideas, since the mi... more The paper shows that although there is still evidence of the impact of Soviet ideas, since the mid-1990s China’s doctoral education system has become increasingly affected by the US, particularly in relation to the role of coursework and quality assurance frameworks.
Based on case studies of China and Japan, this study undertakes comparative research on major asp... more Based on case studies of China and Japan, this study undertakes comparative research on major aspects of university curriculum and instruction-teaching activities of academics, their role in curriculum development, and their perceptions of these activities— between a mass and a universal higher education system. Major findings from the APA (Academic Profession in Asia) surveys administered in the two countries in 2011–2012 with a similar questionnaire provide hard data. However, the study also explores other contextual factors and drivers which might have affected the teaching activities undertaken by academics, their involvement in curriculum development, and their views of relevant activities. The paper argues that, although differences can be found in some aspects of the curriculum and instruction and academics' participation in these activities during the shift from the mass to universal phase of higher education, seen from the two case studies, it is less clear that the differences show the impact of transforming from mass to universal education. The national contextual factors, especially the origins of higher education and ongoing national policies in both countries, appear to play a significant role in how current academics perceived the curriculum development and instruction, and their participation in these activities. More importantly, as fundamental changes do not necessarily occur in all aspects of the curriculum and instruction, as well as the academics' views across universal and mass higher education systems, Trow's research can only be partly applied to the analysis of the curriculum and instruction in both countries.
By analyzing relevant findings from two national surveys which were carried out in 1992 and 2011 w... more By analyzing relevant findings from two national surveys which were carried out in 1992 and 2011 with dozens of similar questions, the study explores changes in Japanese academics’ major teaching and research activities and their views of these activities from 1992 to 2011. The study begins with a brief introduction to context and main policies and strategies addressing these changes, and then it discusses major changes in academics’ teaching and research activities and their perceptions of these activities at both institutional and individual levels. The study concludes by arguing the impacts from both contextual factors and government policies and strategies on their activities and perceptions of teaching and research over the time and further implications for research and policy.
The purpose of this article is to look at the internationalization of both Japanese faculty membe... more The purpose of this article is to look at the internationalization of both Japanese faculty members’ teaching and research activities and their affiliated institutions, as well as their views on international connections between research universities and non-research universities based on major findings from the latest national survey which was implemented in 2011.
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English Papers by Futao Huang
Key words: academic profession, governance, Asia survey, China, Japan, comparative study
While the quality of the region’s universities has remained consistent, tremendous changes have occurred in higher education since the early 1990s as a result of both global/international factors and national contextual drivers.
Although these factors and drivers have affected quality assurance in individual countries and societies in different ways and to different degrees, similar patterns can be found across the region and similar challenges remain.
Key words: academic profession, governance, Asia survey, China, Japan, comparative study
While the quality of the region’s universities has remained consistent, tremendous changes have occurred in higher education since the early 1990s as a result of both global/international factors and national contextual drivers.
Although these factors and drivers have affected quality assurance in individual countries and societies in different ways and to different degrees, similar patterns can be found across the region and similar challenges remain.