China's upcoming Degree Act, effective January 1, 2025, is expected to open new avenues for international partnerships in higher education, according to academic experts. Professors Yuzhuo Cai and Wenqin Shen have highlighted that the act represents a shift toward "standardisation, decentralisation, and diversification" within the Chinese education system.
While the Degree Act does not specifically address international degree programs, its broader framework suggests potential for such collaborations. The act clarifies the role of provincial education authorities in awarding master’s degrees and grants selected elite universities the autonomy to independently develop master’s and doctoral programs. This increased independence is likely to enhance the capacity of these institutions to create international degree offerings.
Additionally, the new legislation introduces comprehensive regulations on degree procedures and quality assurance, aligning them more closely with international standards. Notably, it emphasizes the importance of achieving specific learning outcomes over the traditional focus on the duration of study.
Traditionally, earning a master's degree in China has taken two to three years, which many students find excessively long, leading them to seek education abroad. The new law does not stipulate a specific length for master’s programs, potentially allowing for shorter options of one to two years. This flexibility may facilitate dual-degree collaborations, making such partnerships more appealing and efficient.
Furthermore, the act permits students pursuing professional degrees to meet requirements through practical work instead of mandatory thesis writing. This change could foster more international collaborations in developing postgraduate programs.
The Degree Act also states that its provisions apply to degrees awarded overseas by Chinese institutions or to international students seeking Chinese academic qualifications. This suggests that as the quality of higher education in China continues to rise, the government may increasingly support Chinese universities in offering degree programs internationally.
However, the act faces challenges. Cai notes that despite the aim of enhancing international cooperation, the legacy of the 1980 Degree Regulation still impacts collaboration. This previous regulation classified higher education degrees as national credentials subject to stringent government control, limiting institutional autonomy in establishing international programs.
The new act does not transfer degree ownership from the Chinese government to universities, meaning institutions still lack full control over creating international degree programs, including joint or dual degrees. Moreover, the lack of clarity regarding "joint degree" criteria within the new legislation complicates integration of Chinese and international students into collaborative programs, given the differences in admission standards and graduation requirements.
As China seeks to enhance its international educational partnerships, the implementation of the new Degree Act will play a crucial role, though significant hurdles remain in redefining the regulatory framework governing degree collaborations.
