The Center for Higher Education Development of Xiamen University (hereinafter referred to as the “Center”) was established in January 2000 and was designated as a Key Research Base for Humanities and Social Sciences by the Ministry of Education in September of the same year. It remains the nation’s only research base exclusively dedicated to the study of higher education. The Center encompasses four specialized research institutes: the Institute of Educational Theory and History, the Institute of Curriculum Development, Pedagogy, and Psychology, the Institute of Educational Development and Governance, and the Institute of Comparative and International Education Studies.
The mission of the Center for Higher Education Development of Xiamen University is to uphold the pioneering spirit of Xiamen University’s Institute of Higher Education, to attract top-tier talent, and to establish a nationally leading think tank focused on higher education research. The Center is dedicated to making a constructive impact on national higher education reform and development, promoting high standards and fostering sustainable, high-quality growth across China’s higher education system. The Center’s primary objectives include: 1) Advancing research on frontier topics to lead and support the progress of higher education as an academic discipline in China. 2) Conducting in-depth studies of national higher education reform policies, focusing on critical issues to fulfill its role as a key national-level think tank. 3) Developing strategic insights to guide the continued and differentiated growth of various higher education institutions, providing essential theoretical support and practical services to facilitate high-quality, distinctive institutional development.
The Center operates under a director-led system under the guidance of an academic committee. The Center’s research team currently includes 32 full-time, 28 adjunct scholars and 14 members in the Academic Committee.
Since its inception, the Center has successfully led over 100 research initiatives at the national and provincial levels, including major projects funded by the Ministry of Education’s Philosophy and Social Sciences Research Program, key projects under the National Social Science Fund, and other nationally significant research endeavors.
With the aim of becoming a leading national think tank for higher education policy and a key provider of consulting services, the Center has, in recent years, undertaken significant research projects commissioned by central and local governments, education authorities, and higher education institutions at all levels, providing policy analysis and consultancy on educational reforms and transitions.
The Center serves as a key platform for academic exchange in higher education across the country. It has established enduring academic partnerships with more than 30 renowned universities in overs 10 countries and regions. The Center has consistently been recognized as one of the “Top 100 University Think Tanks” in the China Think Tank Index (CTTI), developed by the China Think Tank Research and Evaluation Center at Nanjing University, earning this distinction in 2016, 2018, and 2022 respectively. In 2022, the Center was ranked 6th among 105 educational think tanks globally and 3rd among university-affiliated think tanks, according to the “2022 Global Educational Think Influence Evaluation PAP Report,” jointly released by the Acme Research Institute and the Yangtze River Education Research Institute.
(Updated in September 2025)
