Zhu, Q., & Jesiek, B. K., & Yuan, J. (2014, June), Engineering Education Policymaking in a Cross-National Context:  A Critical Analysis of Engineering Education Accreditation in China  Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana. 10.18260/1-2--20388

\bibitem{asee_peer_20388}
  Zhu, Q., \& Jesiek, B. K., \& Yuan, J. (2014, June), \emph{Engineering Education Policymaking in a Cross-National Context:  A Critical Analysis of Engineering Education Accreditation in China}
  Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana.
  10.18260/1-2--20388

Qin Zhu, Brent K Jesiek, and Jian Yuan.  "Engineering Education Policymaking in a Cross-National Context:  A Critical Analysis of Engineering Education Accreditation in China".  2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2014, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2014.  https://peer.asee.org/20388 Internet.  12 Dec, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_20388}
  Qin Zhu, Brent K Jesiek, and Jian Yuan.
  "Engineering Education Policymaking in a Cross-National Context:  A Critical Analysis of Engineering Education Accreditation in China".
  \emph{2014 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2014, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2014.
  https://peer.asee.org/20388 Internet.  12 Dec, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_20388
author = "Qin Zhu, Brent K Jesiek, and Jian Yuan"
title = "Engineering Education Policymaking in a Cross-National Context:  A Critical Analysis of Engineering Education Accreditation in China"
booktitle = "2014 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2014"
month = "June"
address = "Indianapolis, Indiana"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/20388}
number = {10.18260/1-2--20388}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -              Engineering Education Policymaking in Cross-National Context:            A Critical Analysis of Engineering Education Accreditation in ChinaAbstract: In creating policies that support educating future engineers to meet both domesticneeds and enable global mobility, a major strategy used by Chinese policymakers is “policyborrowing.” Yet one major challenge with this approach is that Chinese policymakers have notdeeply reflected on the cultural differences between China and the countries from which they areborrowing policy. This paper examines a particular aspect of engineering education in China –namely engineering education accreditation – and interrogates China’s overly pragmaticapproach in developing and implementing accreditation policies. This paper argues thathistorically this pragmatic approach is best understood in relation to influences from bothConfucianism and Chinese Marxism. Additionally, we observe that the pragmatic approachshaped the policymaking process in two ways. First, given the lack of a pre-existing accreditationmodel, the pragmatic approach served as the basis for the decision to adopt ABET’saccreditation framework as an actionable “startup template,” but without fully challengingABET’s fundamental ideas, concepts, and assumptions. Second, by comparing policydocuments, reports, and commentaries released by CEEAA (Chinese Engineering EducationAccreditation Association), ABET, and other related agencies in the United States and China,this paper shows that the pragmatic approach was employed by Chinese policymakers as thebasis for making a series of “revisions” to the ABET accreditation process to ensure that theresulting policies are aligned with socialist ideology. The rationale for these revisions is alsodiscussed, including how they are justified from a socialist ideological perspective. Drawing oncritical theories of education and related methods of studying comparative education policyissues, this paper also points out some important limitations or weaknesses in China’s pragmaticapproach, such as intercollegiate inequalities, tensions between ideological education andprofessional education, and challenges to autonomous accrediting. The paper closes with somepolicy recommendations, including a discussion of historical-cultural factors most salient forengineering education policymaking in the Chinese context, including accreditation and otherthemes. The main audience for this paper includes engineering educators and engineering studiesscholars interested in comparative educational research, engineering education policymaking,and current trends in Chinese engineering education.Keywords: engineering education; policy; policymaking; culture; accreditation; ideology;comparative education research; internationalization
AU  - Qin Zhu
AU  - Brent K Jesiek
AU  - Jian Yuan
CY  - Indianapolis, Indiana
DA  - 2014/06/15
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Engineering Education Policymaking in a Cross-National Context:  A Critical Analysis of Engineering Education Accreditation in China
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/20388
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--20388
ER  -