The Identification, Application and Use of Four Distinct Levels of Sino-Foreign Cooperation in the State Higher Education Sector

Based on an analysis of agreements signed between 201 Chinese state universities and institutes, and foreign university partners, this paper identifies four distinct levels of agreements and discusses how they can be used by foreign universities seeking to enter the China market. The paper also discusses how agreements have changed over time—that is between 1996 and 2000. Some preliminary remarks are also made about whether there is link between the level of agreement signed and location—that is, for example, whether there are more “higher level agreements” signed in more westernised and “open” cities of China. The data indicates that this is so but that more remote and less developed parts of China are also chasing higher level and more complex agreements. The agreements reflect the opening of the state higher education system in China to wide ranging cooperation with Foreign universities and, from a foreign university perspective, provides an entry framework which can be used to identify appropriate levels and forms of agreements which can be negotiated with Chinese university partners or potential partners. The research provides a framework in which future research can be undertaken.