The Impact of Modernization on Higher Education in China.

China now has the world's most rapidly growing economy. Since 1949, China's historic developments make it unique among East Asia's flourishing economies. The regimentation of knowledge through a focus on classical studies and narrow specialization has been a traditional means of social control in China. In 1978, China began a series of economic reforms which included an openness to the world outside. These reforms have made a free market an integral part of the Chinese economy, transforming higher education in China. This paper describes the various ways in which the free market has altered higher education and provides current evidence to support the analysis. The paper concludes by considering the implications of these changes for higher education and future developments in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]