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Evaluating the higher education productivity of Chinese and European “elite” universities using a meta-frontier approach

Author

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  • Tommaso Agasisti

    (Politecnico di Milano School of Management)

  • Guo-liang Yang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yao-yao Song

    (Capital University of Economics and Business)

  • Carolyn-Thi Thanh Dung Tran

    (The University of Sydney)

Abstract

This research focuses on a sample of European and Chinese elite universities for the period 2011–2015. We adopt a meta-frontier methodology to decompose their overall productivity in three main determinants: (1) technical efficiency compared with contemporaneous technology, (2) change in technical efficiency and (3) technology relative superiority of the two groups of universities. The results reveal different patterns of evolution: Chinese institutions’ productivity grows faster than that of their European counterparts (+ 7.15%/year vs 4.51%/year), however the latter maintain a higher level of technology in efficient production as a group.

Suggested Citation

  • Tommaso Agasisti & Guo-liang Yang & Yao-yao Song & Carolyn-Thi Thanh Dung Tran, 2021. "Evaluating the higher education productivity of Chinese and European “elite” universities using a meta-frontier approach," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(7), pages 5819-5853, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:126:y:2021:i:7:d:10.1007_s11192-021-03978-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-021-03978-z
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Higher education productivity; Meta-frontier; Elite universities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions

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