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Purpose – Over the past few decades China's higher education has gone through dramatic growth and multiple rounds of reforms accompanied by a remarkable amount of financial investment, all aiming at developing world-class universities to grow innovative talents. Yet the outcomes so far have been disappointing. This paper aims to investigate this issue.Design/methodology/approach – By reviewing and analyzing selected educational reforms in higher education in China, this article discusses the reasons of the gap between the massive input for innovation in higher education in China and abysmal results. This paper also reports and analyzes a case that challenges central control and the gaokao system.Findings – Central control and the gaokao, the infamous college entrance exam, are the bedrocks of China's higher education and also the culprit for China's failure to cultivate innovative talents. Unless they are fundamentally changed it is unlikely that China will have the higher education system it dreams of having.Originality/value – This article provides an overview of China's efforts to cultivate innovative talents by strategically investing in building world-class higher education institutions (HEIs) and analyzes the reasons behind the apparent gap between its massive input and the abysmal results achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to review policy innovations in China for addressing the graduate unemployment crisis that has been created by the expansion of higher education in the past decade.Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw on government documents, research findings, and mass media reports to highlight the key measures of the Chinese government to alleviate the over-education problem and to improve college graduates' employment prospects.Findings – The review describes government efforts both at the institutional level to enhance student employability and at the national level to create alternative employment channels. The Chinese experiences show that the challenges posed by the graduate employment crisis may turn out to be a new opportunity to reform higher education in order to better address the needs unique to a country's own society.Social implications – The review of the Chinese case will inspire policy makers in other countries to seek alternative routes for the development of their own higher education.Originality/value – This is the first study of its kind to address the recent policy innovations and their implications for potential reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]