Content analysis of university development strategies in China within the framework of the concepts of “University 4.0” and “educational ecosystem”

Abstract

Development planning is a prerequisite for achieving the objectives. The strategic plan of university development gives an opportunity not only to understand how the authors of the document see its future but also to get acquainted with the plan of successive actions to achieve the set goals. The analysis of the development strategies of the best universities in China provides rich material for studying the plans for the structural and functional transformation of universities in modern conditions.Based on the QS World University Rankings, 12 leading universities in China, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, are identified. The content analysis of the development strategies of these universities from the position of the concept of University 4.0 and attributes of concept educational ecosystem was carried out. The data is structured in the form of tables and diagrams, based on the analysis of which following conclusions are made: all 12 universities mention in their development strategies all functional components of the University 4.0 concept. All components of the educational ecosystem concept are noted in all 12 universities with different degrees of expression. This suggests that all the universities under consideration (before mid and/or late 2020s) will turn into an educational ecosystem, as well as move to a new stage of development — university 4.0, setting a general trend of development for other universities in China