Higher Education Popularization: Criteria, Process and Pathways

The popularization of higher education is a long and challenging process, which involves the criteria for scale, equity, system, and quality; the progress does not depend merely on higher education itself, but is affected by such factors as demographic changes, economic growth, basic education, the college entrance system, relevant policies, and the demands for the environment. The progress of higher education popularization across the globe falls into three patterns: fast promotion, medium-speed promotion, and slow promotion. China, which will keep pushing forward higher education popularization, can choose one of these patterns, preferably the pattern of medium-speed promotion. According to this pattern, in 2030 or so, China will step into the middle stage of higher education popularization, with an increase of more than 10 million college students to be enrolled. To push higher education popularization to a higher level, the relevant parties need to cultivate more and better upper secondary school students, formulate more inclusive policies for higher education, provide adequate higher education resources, and create new ideas for the development of higher education with an open mind.