Quality Assurance System of Graduate Education in China: An Overview

1. Quality Assurance System of Graduate Education in China: An Overview Shi Zhongying Ph.D. Deputy Dean of Graduate School, Beijing Normal University(BNU),Beijing, China. szying@bnu.edu.cn

2. Outline Introduction External Quality Assurance System (QAS) Internal QAS Challenge on External QAS Challenge on Internal QAS Prospective on QAS of Graduate Education

3. Introduction Quality of graduate education has been questioned for the latest decade. To some extent, quality of graduate education is very important to ensure continually academic development. How to define the concept of graduate education quality? How to ensure the defined quality of graduate education? How to improve the quality of graduate education via quality assurance activities? And how to improve communication, dialogue and understanding among different graduate education quality assurance systems? We should explore above questions and seek for commonsense, which is believed to be the solid base of international graduate education cooperation in the globally.

4. Two Types of Quality Assurance System Quality assurance is a series of activities, which intend to ensure the realization of expected goals. Usually, Quality assurance include policy-making, financial support, human resources training, quality assessment, quality control improvement, etc. It is well known there are two types of quality assurance system: External quality assurance system, which ensure the quality control from outside of the system, Internal quality assurance which ensure the quality from inside of the system.

5. External Quality Assurance System in China Two levels The State Council Academic Degrees Committee [(SCADC)/Ministry of Education (MoE)] –The National level The Office of State Council Academic Degrees Committee and the Post-graduate Department of MoE are steering institutions. There are two institutions but one team. The local Academic Degrees Committee/the department of education - Provincial level The steering institution is the office of local Academic Degrees Committee and the division of high education or graduate education.

6. External Quality Assurance Activities Legislation on Graduate Education Legislation organization： The National People's Congress (NPC) or the Local People’s Congress. Regulations about graduate education: Regulations for Academic Degrees and Graduate Education in the P.R.China(1980) Implement Approaches to Regulations for Academic Degrees and Graduate Education in the P.R.China(1981)

7. External Quality Assurance Activities 2. Program Authorization Authorizing Institution of Doctoral Program The State Council Academic Degrees Committee Authorizing Institution of Master Program (including reach master and professional master program) The Local Academic Degree Committee

8. External Quality Assurance Activities 3. Periodically Program Assessment Period Cycle: 6 years Organized by the State Council Academic Degrees Committee. Periodically program assessment on master education is authorized to local academic degrees committees. The results of Periodically Program Assessment (1) Pass, which means qualified program could continue to enroll graduate students. (2) Fail, which means unqualified program has to be cancelled for ever. (3) Conditionally Pass, which means assessed program must stop enrolling graduate students, however it could have a chance to be re-assessed two years later.

9. External Quality Assurance Activities 4. Program Ranking Authorized by the State Council Academic Degrees Committee, China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Centre is responsible for program ranking. According to selected standards, based on objective data, this centre would report the rank of all graduate programs. Program ranking would help universities and stakeholders understand priority and weakness of a certain program. More important, it could help undergraduate or master students to select appropriate program to apply for.

10. External Quality Assurance Activities 5. Award for Excellent Doctoral Dissertation The Department of Graduate Education of MoE is responsible for this project. From 1999, It has selected and awarded 100 excellent doctoral dissertations each year. If one dissertation would be selected as excellent doctoral dissertation, its author would receive research fund, from 50,000 to 100,000 US dollars. It aims to encourage doctoral researchers to continue his/her academic path and improve the quality of doctoral education.

11. List of Award for Excellent Doctoral Dissertations (selected)

12. Internal Quality Assurance System in China Three levels 1. University level University Academic Degree Committee/Graduate School 2. College level College Academic Degree Committee/college leaders 3. Supervisors

13. Internal Quality Assurance Activities 1.Quality of Enrollment: Ratio of graduate students from “985 project” and “211 project” universities 2.Supervisor selection: Reference to his/her degree, supervision experience, research program, academic influence, published articles and books, etc. 3.Curriculum and teaching Service Evaluation of students satisfaction 4.Examination in the middle term Evaluation of performance, credits, research program, etc.

14. Internal Quality Assurance Activities 5.Examination and comments on dissertationAnonymous examination and vote 6.Methodology and Ethics Methodology curriculum and ethical examination 7. Financial Aid 8. Employment Promotion Follow up employment

15. Challenge on External Quality Assurance System Revision of Regulations for Academic Degrees and Graduate Education in the P.R.China(1980) Legitimacy of program authorization system Fairness and weakness of program ranking Fairness and efficiency issues in the process of select excellent doctoral dissertations Unexpected and negative influences on university performance

16. Challenge on internal Quality Assurance System Fairness issues in enrollment Standard process of supervisor selection Role of graduate students as so-called curriculum and teaching service consumer Low ratio of exclusion in middle-term examination Low ratio of exclusion in dissertation evaluation and comments. Indiscriminately copy in curriculum papers and dissertation. Employment issue Psychological and mental problems Unbalanced ratio between male and female students

17. Trends of Doctor Employment (2006-2010) （A Case of BNU） Military and other Public fields University /research Industry Gov. Unemployed Oversea Post- doctor

18. Prospective China is in the progress to set up and improve a quality assurance system of graduate education with its own characteristics The QAS in China has played a vital role to ensure and improve quality of graduate education External quality assurance lay particular emphasis on quality management and control, while internal quality assurance on the quality improvement One of important goals of internal quality assurance is seeking for external quality reputation, which is believed to bring about various resources and benefits One question is “ Could this kind of internal quality assurance could ensure the quality of graduate education indeed?”

19. Thanks!!