China - Higher Education Reform Project

Document of The World Bank Report No: 33720 IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT (SCL-44740 IDA-32130 TF-25682) ON A LOAN IN THE AMOUNT OF US$20 MILLION AND A CREDIT IN THE AMOUNT OF SDR36.8 MILLION (US$50 MILLION) TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR A HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM PROJECT April 5, 2006 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SECTOR UNIT EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC REGION  CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (Exchange Rate Effective December 29, 2005) Currency Unit = Yuan (Y) Y1 = US$ 0.12 US$ 1.00 = Y8.1 FISCAL YEAR JANUARY 1 DECEMBER 31 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS APR Annual Progress Report FDAN Fudan University PAD Project Appraisal Document BISC Baotou Iron and Steel College HIT Harbin Institute of Technology PIs Partner Institutions BIT Beijing Institute of Technology HEAP Higher Education Advisory Panel PKU Peking University BNU Beijing Normal University HED Higher Education Development PKUHSC Peking University Health Science Center BUAA Beijing University of Aeronautics HUST Huazhong Institute of PPI Project Performance Indicators and Astronautics Technology BUST Beijing University of Science & ICR Implementation Completion PUs Project Universities Technology Report COU China Ocean University ISR Implementation Status and SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Results Syndrome CUMT China University of Mining and IDF Institutional Development Fund SNNU Shaanxi Normal University Technology CUST China University of Science and ICB International Competitive SJTU Shanghai Jiaotong University Technology Bidding CERNET Chinese Education and Research JLU Jilin University SCU Sichuan University Network CEP Chinese Expert Panel JUT Jilin University of Technology SEU Southeast University CQU Chongqing University LCBPT Laboratory Center for Basic TJU Tianjin University Physics Teaching CAD Computer-assisted Design LZU Lanzhou University TSING Tsinghua University CAI Computer-assisted Instruction MIS Management Information System USTB University of Science & Technology Beijing CAS Country Assistance Strategy MTUC Mining and Technology WHU Wuhan University University China DLUT Dalian University of Technology MOE Ministry of Education WREP Work Review and Evaluation Report EAP East Asia and Pacific M&E Monitoring & Evaluation XJTU Xi`an Jiaotong University EOP End of Project NJU Nanjing University YNU Yunnan University FILO Foreign Investment Loan Office NKAI Nankai University ZJU Zhejiang University Vice President: Jeffrey Gutman (EAPVP) Country Director David Dollar (EACCF) Education Sector Manager Christopher Thomas (EASHD) Task Team Leader/Task Manager: Dingyong Hou (EASHD)  CHINA Higher Education Reform CONTENTS Page No. 1. Project Data 1 2. Principal Performance Ratings 1 3. Assessment of Development Objective and Design, and of Quality at Entry 2 4. Achievement of Objective and Outputs 5 5. Major Factors Affecting Implementation and Outcome 18 6. Sustainability 20 7. Bank and Borrower Performance 21 8. Lessons Learned 22 9. Partner Comments 23 10. Additional Information 26 Annex 1. Key Performance Indicators/Log Frame Matrix 27 Annex 2. Project Costs and Financing 39 Annex 3. Economic Costs and Benefits 42 Annex 4. Bank Inputs 43 Annex 5. Ratings for Achievement of Objectives/Outputs of Components 45 Annex 6. Ratings of Bank and Borrower Performance 46 Annex 7. List of Supporting Documents 47 Annex 8. Additional Data on Components 1 and 2 49 Annex 9. Partnership Implementation Issues 55 Annex 10. Policy-Based Research Studies 56 Annex 11. Development of Textbooks and Electronic Materials 59 Annex 12. Lanzhou University Student Loan Pilot Scheme 61 Annex 13. List of Project Universities and Partner Institutions 62  Project ID: P046051 Project Name: Higher Education Reform Team Leader: Dingyong Hou TL Unit: EASHD ICR Type: Core ICR Report Date: April 5, 2006 1. Project Data Name: Higher Education Reform L/C/TF Number: SCL-44740; IDA-32130; TF-25682 Country/Department: CHINA Region: East Asia and Pacific Region Sector/subsector: Tertiary education (98%); Central government administration (2%) Theme: Education for the knowledge economy (P); Social analysis and monitoring (S) KEY DATES Original Revised/Actual PCD: 08/10/1998 Effective: 09/30/1999 10/06/1999 Appraisal: 12/15/1998 MTR: 10/21/2002 Approval: 05/18/1999 Closing: 07/31/2005 09/30/2005 Borrower/Implementing Agency: PRC/Ministry of Education Other Partners: STAFF Current At Appraisal Vice President: Jeffrey Gutman Jean-Michel Severino Country Director: David R. Dollar Yukon Huang Sector Manager: Christopher Thomas Alan Ruby Team Leader at ICR: Dingyong Hou Hena G. Mukherjee ICR Primary Author: Hon Chan Chai 2. Principal Performance Ratings (HS=Highly Satisfactory, S=Satisfactory, U=Unsatisfactory, HL=Highly Likely, L=Likely, UN=Unlikely, HUN=Highly Unlikely, HU=Highly Unsatisfactory, H=High, SU=Substantial, M=Modest, N=Negligible) Outcome: S Sustainability: HL Institutional Development Impact: SU Bank Performance: S Borrower Performance: S QAG (if available) ICR Quality at Entry: S Project at Risk at Any Time: No  3. Assessment of Development Objective and Design, and of Quality at Entry 3.1 Original Objective: The overall objective was to improve the quality and relevance of undergraduate basic science and engineering programs through integrated reform activities in curriculum and teaching methodology. The project investment, targeted at the first and second year studies, was designed to provide the impetus for embedding the reforms across all four years of undergraduate science and engineering programs. Specifically, the project sought to: (a) enable Project Universities (PUs) to improve teaching and learning through restructuring the curriculum, reduction of narrow specializations, and introduce integrative interdisciplinary courses; (b) enable the PUs, through a collaborative partnership program, to disseminate the reforms they developed to their poorer Partner Institutions (PIs); and (c) strengthen institutional planning and administration and central coordination. The effectiveness of the teaching/learning process was to be improved by adopting student-centered strategies, and making the laboratories, computer facilities and library services more readily accessible to students and staff. Annex 13 provides a list of project universities, their codes, partner institutions, and implementation completion reports, dates and length. The project universities are identified by their code, as appropriate. 3.2 Revised Objective: The project's development objectives were not revised. Adherence to the original objectives was a reflection of the broad consensus among the PUs on the reform priorities for their institutional development. The consensus was significant considering the variation in institutional history of the PUs and levels of socioeconomic development of the eleven provinces and four municipalities in which the PUs were located. At appraisal, there were three municipalities: Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai; subsequently Chongqing became the fourth municipality. 3.3 Original Components: The project components were designed to meet the project objectives. Clearly defined implementation responsibilities were shared between the PUs, which would execute project activities at the institutional level, and the Ministry of Education (MOE)/Foreign Investment Loan Office (FILO) at the central, overarching level. The MOE/FILO was assisted by the Higher Education Advisory Panel (HEAP, also referred to as the "Chinese Expert Panel" or CEP) which carried out advisory and oversight functions in relation to the PUs. Each PU, in turn, had its own mini-FILO and advisory team to assist in the implementation of institutional project activities. The three main components supported the improvement of the quality and relevance of undergraduate basic science and engineering programs by reforming the curriculum, teaching-learning methodology, and the examination system. All components were judged to: (a) have direct relevance to the project's objectives; (b) be well within the capabilities of the implementing agencies; and (c) have been designed with the incorporation of `lessons learned' from previous World Bank (the Bank) projects in China and the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Region. The components, as implemented, were as follows: Component 1: Achieving Improvement in Teaching and Learning (Base Cost: US$84.0 million) The PUs would restructure the curriculum to provide broader, integrative interdisciplinary courses in science and engineering, with improved student-centered teaching-learning strategies, more accessible laboratories and workshops, computer facilities and library services. New equipment would be provided: (a) to complement the new expanded and modernized physical facilities for first and second year science and engineering programs; and (b) to establish integrated laboratory centers for new type of laboratory - 2 -  experiments which would include open-ended and research-design-oriented projects. The aim was to meet employers' demand for graduates who, having acquired a broad knowledge base, would be more practical, creative and skilled in team work. The component's overall objectives would be achieved through four sub-components: (a) Restructuring of Academic Programs through continuous curriculum development to ensure the relevance of academic programs to modern market demands. Activities would include: (i) improving the relevance of academic programs and curricula through practical linkages between universities and employers by means of external and industrial advisory committees and graduate tracer system to gather feedback from graduates and employers; (ii) supporting continuous curriculum development and improvement through a feedback process linking inputs from students, graduates and employers and committees responsible for program-specific curriculum development; and (iii) restructuring of academic programs by reorganizing and broadening the content of science and engineering programs and strengthening each subject's fundamental concepts and practical aspects, which would be effected by reducing the number of specialized courses and the amount of scheduled time in each program to provide students more time for individual and group learning. (b) Reforming Learning Strategies. The above reforms would include support to teaching staff, evaluation of teaching reforms and dissemination of outcomes to other institutions; and integration of new equipment with reformed approaches to teaching-learning. The reforms would be achieved through: (i) adoption of student-centered teaching-learning methods; (ii) improving the quantity, quality and relevance of laboratory experimental work through improved laboratory equipment, increased student access to laboratories, and changing the balance between directed, "verifying" and/or repetitive experiments and open-ended, design-oriented laboratory projects; (iii) ensuring a safe and conducive laboratory environment through renovated facilities; and (iv) reforming student examinations through more student-centered testing and evaluation strategies and a flexible course credit system. (c) Improving Learning Opportunities and Conditions. This would be achieved by facilitating more self-directed learning by: (i) improving and updating textbooks and other teaching-learning materials; (ii) improving the conditions for self-directed learning through reduction of time for traditional lectures and increase of time for student self- or group-study enabled by open access to laboratories, enhanced computer facilities, and library resources; and (iii) improving learning-support services through improved teaching/learning and campus networks linked to Chinese Education and Research Network (CERNET) and the Internet. (d) Upgrading teachers and staff to support the reforms would be achieved by short- and long-term (local or overseas) training of administrators, teachers and laboratory support staff in higher education planning and management, and teaching-learning strategies. (For further details on Component 1, see PAD Report No. 19146-CHA, dated April 14, 1999, Annex 2 pp. 32-36.) Component 2: Using Partnerships and Networks to Spread Reforms (Base Cost: US$5.3 million) This component linked the 28 PUs with their less-developed Partner Institutions (PIs) to share the benefits of project investments in physical and human resource development and to widen the impact of the higher education reforms initiated in the PUs. This would be achieved by disseminating the curriculum reforms and academic program and course development and improved teaching-learning strategies in basic science and engineering courses. The partnership core elements would include: (a) training PI staff in higher degrees and/or courses in science and engineering content and teaching methods; (b) training and/or - 3 -  exchange of students between institutions to participate in teaching-learning programs and generally for the PI staff and students to use the better equipment and teaching-learning resources of the PUs; (c) sharing resources, reforms in curricula, teaching-learning methods, good practice in institutional management; and (d) development and use of electronic teaching-learning materials and routine electronic communication between teaching staff and students through CERNET and other networks. Quality improvements in reforms would be monitored by HEAP or CEP. Good performance by PUs would be rewarded by MOE under five categories of partnership activities: (i) sharing facilities; (ii) staff training; (iii) joint research and development programs; (iv) technical assistance; and (v) donations (equipment, software, publications). PU staff would be expected to help their PI counterparts to adopt the new teaching methods developed under the project. (For further details on Component 2, see PAD Report No. 19146-CHA, dated April 14, 1999, Annex 2 pp. 36-37.) Component 3: Supporting Institutional Capacity for Change (Base Cost: US$4.3 million) Aimed at strengthening institutional planning and administration and central coordination, activities under this component, implemented by MOE, were organized under four main groups. I. National-Level Technical Assistance Activities included staff training and study tours with follow-up dissemination seminars: (a) staff training would focus on project, financial, and procurement management to ensure effective project implementation; (b) the study tours to various foreign universities would familiarize senior university staff with current good practices in: (i) reform of institutional management and implementation of teaching reform (for university presidents); (ii) reform of curricula, textbooks, teaching methods and the institutional examination system (for directors of teaching affairs); (iii) improving financial management (for finance division directors); (iv) reform of laboratory management (for equipment division directors); and (v) reform of laboratory teaching and management (for chiefs of the experiment centers). II. Policy-Based Research Studies on five research themes identified by MOE/HED, in collaboration with university experts. The themes were: (a) development of a system for quality assessment in higher education; (b) establishment of a textbook renewal mechanism appropriate for a socialist market economy; (c) managerial autonomy of institutions under legislation; (d) development of a graduate tracer study; and (e) comprehensive assessment of financial management in higher education institutions. III. Textbooks and Electronic Materials reform and development activities were coordinated by MOE to ensure adequate dissemination of the most innovative results to all universities in the country. MOE planned to produce 400 textbooks on 200 basic courses which would include those not covered by the project, with the aim of spreading the reforms beyond the PUs and PIs. The development of management software would fall under the overall Management Information System (MIS) development activities of MOE and the various universities, while the development of teaching software would be associated with curriculum reform and teaching practice improvement under the project's Component 1. IV. Student Loan Pilot Scheme for Lanzhou University, a pilot scheme funded by a US$100,000 PHRD Grant to Lanzhou University, was a study of an alternative student loan scheme. (For further details on Component 3, see PAD Report No. 19146-CHA, dated April 14, 1999, Annex 2 pp. 37-40.) 3.4 Revised Components: There were no revised components. 3.5 Quality at Entry: The project was not subject to a QAG review or rating at entry. The ICR rating for quality at entry is satisfactory. The rating is based on the following findings: (a) from - 4 -  the beginning, the project was strongly focused on agreed-upon development objectives, and this concensus remained through the duration of the project; (b) the thrust of the project was closely aligned with the Borrower's higher education sector development priorities as described in China Higher Education Reform (June, 1997), an in-depth sub-sectoral analysis jointly conducted by MOE and the Bank; (c) the project design was consistent with the Bank's Country Assistance Strategy (CAS, R98-107 dated May 6, 1998); and (d) the Borrower clearly considered the project to have been timely, and had shown strong ownership. It was implemented at a time when the demand for high level scientific and technological workers was at a critical stage in the nation's economic growth, and the sub-sector could have suffered a development set-back if the project had not been implemented. The project design was formulated on the basis of a well researched and documented study (referred to above) and lessons learned from previous higher education Bank projects in China and the region. The project components were designed to be fully sustainable by the PUs and MOE. Finally, the cost estimates in the original project design were proven to be reasonably accurate, with no significant shortfall in local funding of the project. 4. Achievement of Objective and Outputs 4.1 Outcome/achievement of objective: The project was judged to have met and, in many aspects, exceeded its overall development objectives. This assessment was based on: (a) satisfactory to highly satisfactory project outcomes and outputs pertaining to all the targeted reforms; (b) strong PU and MOE commitment and participation throughout the implementation of the project; (c) highly conducive student learning environment in the new laboratory experiment centers; (d) highly satisfactory graduate employment rates; (e) effective implementation by the PUs and implementation oversight by MOE/FILO, supported by HEAP; (f) strong indications of PU and PI satisfaction with the overall implementation of the project and its outcomes; and (g) positive indications of continued sustainability of project investments. These indications are most apparent when the Borrower continues to place strong priority on continued improvements in, and dissemination of, higher education reforms, particularly in laboratory experiment centers, the key to achieving higher levels of teaching-learning in science and technology. Based on these indicators, the overall outcomes of the project are rated as satisfactory. 4.2 Outputs by components: Component 1: Achieving Improvement in Teaching and Learning (a) Restructuring of Academic Programs. This sub-component is rated highly satisfactory. At the end of the project (EOP), 1,486 majors were reformed and 4,203 courses were updated (126% of the target of 3,340, MOE/FILO PPI, Tables 2 & 10) including new majors and non-specialized courses for providing undergraduate students with a broad based and flexible education program through wider range of choices. Each PU carried out the restructuring according to its needs, guided by the overall objective of deepening the reform of undergraduate science and engineering curricula, course content and teaching-learning methods. Nankai University's experience provides an insight to the general approach to academic program restructuring taken by the PUs. In Nankai (NKAI), whose reform focused on four lab teaching centers (biology, chemistry, physics and electronics), the restructuring process started with rationalization of the schools of science, followed by reforming the lab management system by integrating the teaching lab resources and establishing the basic lab teaching centers according to education objectives, lab classification and teaching-learning content. The University realized that reforming the experiment teaching system was inextricably linked to providing quality education for undergraduates. Thus, issues - 5 -  were thoroughly examined and debated among teachers and administrators to arrive at a consensus on institutional and academic objectives and strategies for achieving them (NKAI, ICR). Infrastructure supporting teaching/learning reforms. A prerequisite for restructuring the academic programs was the provision of new or renovated lab experiment facilities, up-to-date equipment and precision instruments, computer/multimedia and library support services. All the PUs improved and/or expanded these facilities, with the largest lab area increase in Jilin University (JLU), whose lab space was increased by 264% from 11,365 square meters in 1999 to 29,967 square meters at EOP. Total PU lab areas increased by 162% from 258,000 square meters in 1999 to 419,000 square meters in 2005 (PPI, Table 3-a). The 28 PUs (including JUT, which had merged with JLU) had a total of 117 new or restructured lab experiment centers, averaging 4.2 centers per institution, ranging from six centers (PKU, TSING, and SCU) to two (USTB). Science centers accounted for the highest proportion (53%), followed by engineering (36%) and multimedia and language centers making up 11% (Annex 8, Table 1). The completion reports by each PU provides extensive details of experiment centers and the reformed teaching/learning they embodied. The new laboratories with modern equipment provided the necessary support for educational reforms. The experiment centers became the focal points of the university reforms and provided the platforms for the implementation of the new approach to teaching-learning science and engineering, which was facilitated by the installation of new equipment collectively valued at US$57.32 million and RMB264.5 million, and the acquisition of 97,000 new science and engineering books (increased by 74% from 55,700 in 1999). Teaching and learning in the experiment centers were supported by 5,539 lab instructors, increased by 31% from 4,225 in 1999 (PPI, Table 4). The successful establishment and equipping of the lab centers, language labs, libraries and other learning resource centers had significantly improved the PUs' health and safety learning environment and broadened the opportunity for students to test their creativity and fulfill their development potential. (i) Improving the relevance of academic programs and curricula. This sub-component is rated highly satisfactory. The reformed undergraduate curriculum typically consisted of a combination of required common basic courses, specialized compulsory courses, optional courses, general education optional courses, and common optional courses. Within these requirements, students had varying degrees of freedom of choice, depending on the departments they were enrolled in. The reforms, originally focused on the first and second year science and engineering programs, had spread to the entire undergraduate curriculum at the PUs, and through the PUs to their partner institutions. The dissemination of reform ideas had a leavening influence on the quality of graduates, with beneficial impact on the graduate employment rate, a key indicator of the relevance of academic programs and curricula. The new skills, developed under the project, are in high demand locally and globally. The increasing involvement of industry (e.g., participation in Boards of Trustees established during sector work just before the project) in educational activities and management at the PUs helped to strengthen the relevance of science and engineering education to the labor market. This is evidenced (in early 2004) by the establishment of 438 laboratories with industry built either in the PUs or in university-linked enterprises (FILO draft APR 2004, p. 2). Selected PUs, using a survey instrument developed by SJTU under the leadership of MOE/FILO, conducted a survey of graduate employment for three years (details of the graduate tracer study are given in Component 3, below). The results from ten PUs showed graduate employment rates to be high but with not unexpected variation between institutions and changes between 1999 and 2005 (Annex 8, Table 2). - 6 -  The graduate employment mechanism which linked employers' requirements and the universities' preparation of students for a socialist market economy had to balance graduates' abilities and expectations with labor market demands. Generally, local government state enterprises offered lower salaries, while the new private enterprises, particularly foreign or foreign-linked, offered higher salaries. According to BIT (ICR p.17), employers were becoming more diverse. Up to the end of the 1990's, BIT graduates were employed by traditional state enterprises, scientific research institutes, and national departments, but since the turn of the century, graduates increasingly have been sought by multinational and joint-venture enterprises. In 2004, about 28% of total BIT graduates were employed by foreign enterprises. In 2005, foreign companies accounted for one-third of employment units advertising for graduates in BIT. A survey by HIT in 2004 to gauge the quality of education and training students received showed that those who graduated in 1998 or earlier and those who graduated in 1999 or later differed markedly (close to 0.1 significance level) in computer competence, hands-on work ability, and organizational and management ability. The high enrollment increases from 1999 produced the first sharp increase in output of graduates of 2.12 million in 2003, an increase of 6.5 times over the 1999 output of 322,400. The situation suggested three main trends: (i) the increase was a response to the changing demands for skills in public sector and fast expansion of private enterprises; (ii) industrial specialties (e.g., telecommunications, medical technology, automobile manufacturing) became the preferred majors, and the output of high-quality and broadly trained graduates was a response to the needs of these sectors; and (iii) a growing number of graduates moving to post-graduate studies, a direct result of the enriched curricula as well as an increasingly sophisticated labor market signaling its preference for workers with a post-graduate degree. (ii) Supporting continuous curriculum development and improvement. This sub-component is rated highly satisfactory. Continuous curriculum development is necessary to improve design and to respond to new technologies in science and engineering and the changing labor market demands. The increased emphasis within the reformed programs in the PUs on basic scientific and technological concepts, instead of narrow specializations, is likely to facilitate continuous updating of curricula. The PUs have institutionalized various processes for continuous curriculum development and improvement, using feedback from students and graduates, as well as employers, to sustain the process of reviewing and improving curricula and related activities. An illustration is provided by the experience of Fudan University, a research-focused institution, whose major responsibility, like that of other PUs, is to build up undergraduate disciplines that meet the needs of the 21st century. The University encourages departments and colleges "to boldly undertake reforms in laboratory curriculum consistent with academic characteristics and the talent-development needs" (FDAN, ICR, p.6). At the management level, a course credit system development team, headed by the University President, and four curricular design expert teams, respectively for humanities, science, medicine, and comprehensive education, were set up to address the reform of curricular structures. The resultant comprehensive education policy combined all four discipline areas in the systematic development of advanced student talents (FDAN, ICR, p. 24). For other examples, see Annex 8, Table 2. (iii) Restructuring of academic programs. This sub-component is rated highly satisfactory. Historically, science faculties in China's universities evolved from physics and chemistry laboratories affiliated to basic (teaching) faculties. The specialty faculties only conducted research, while the basic faculties only conducted teaching. Thus, the arbitrary division between research and teaching adversely affected the improvement of teachers' competency and the improvement of basic teaching quality (USTB, - 7 -  ICR Part 2, Reports by the Experimental Centers, p. 6). The project reform objective was achieved through the integration of basic teaching and research, reflected in the administrative integration of experiment labs. In turn, the restructured academic programs were reflected in the PUs' increased allocation of laboratory time to students who were free to choose their experiments (see (b) Reforming Learning Strategies, below). During the project period, student use of the lab centers totalled 30.88 million person-hours per year, 27% higher than the plan to provide 24.30 million person-hours. Parallel to student use was the total lab openning hours per week increased from the average of 40 hours to 80 hours. The experiment centers served about 462,000 students, about 29% more than the planned 356,000 students. The above statistics (PPI, Table 3-b) reflect the opportunities accorded to students to do their experiments at their own convenience as part of the restructured academic programs. The foundation for the restructured academic programs was provided by the renewed/updated lab experiments for basic science and engineering courses, of which the PUs in 2005 had achieved a total of 7,779 (65.3%) of the 11,906 total lab experiments. The experiment centers served 3,368 majors, 115% more than the planned 3,021 to be served (for further details, see MOE/FILO PPIs for PUs, Table 3-a). (b) Reforming Learning Strategies. This sub-component is rated satisfactory. To achieve the reforms in learning strategies, special emphasis was placed on raising the number and quality of academic staff. At the end of the project, the PUs had a total of 23,556 teachers with a Master's degree, and 21,556 with a doctoral degree, 40.2% and 36.8% respectively of the total of 58,585 full-time (FT) teachers. In 2005, the student enrollment was 867,142, giving a student-faculty ratio of 15:1 (PPI, Table 1). (At appraisal, the corresponding ratio was 11:1; thus, the situation in 2005 suggested an improvement in staff utilization, implying increased efficiency.) The academic staff training achieved mixed results. About half of the PUs aimed to attain at least 50% teachers with a Master's degree, but in actuality, only four (14%) of the PUs reached that target on project completion. By contrast, 20 (74%) of the PUs reached or surpassed their targets for staff with a doctoral degree. At EOP, the overall picture showed the majority of PUs did not reach their targets for teachers with Master's degree or doctorates. This shortfall, however, was compensated by a 36% improvement in the average student-full-time teacher ratio (see "Trained Teachers" below). Details of the results from selected universities are given in Annex 8, Table 3. Apparently, one reason that caused the PUs to underachieve the targeted number of higher degree faculty was due to the fact that staff aged 45 or older were ineligible for higher degree training. Nevertheless, the project's staff development program was a catalyst for many PUs to establish their own program for training younger staff. For example, to raise teaching standards, Wuhan University (WHU, ICR p.18), like many universities in China, required young teachers to undergo pre-job training, two rounds of teaching assistance, teaching preparation, and trial teaching before they started independent teaching. Both young and mid-career teachers were encouraged to study for a Master's or doctoral degree, with the employing university subsidizing the tuition fees or providing support for overseas studies. Significantly, the training included an introduction to educational theories and modern educational technologies. All the above indicate an enlightened policy far in advance of many foreign higher education institutions where teaching staff are seldom required to have any training in pedagogy. All the PUs embraced the student-centered teaching/learning strategy. The reduction in the lecture mode of teaching, which had no reported negative effects, provided students more time for individual laboratory work, team activities and, most important of all, for individual thinking and reflection. Examination reforms reduced the demands of the past for extensive memorization. Traditional "cook-book" lab - 8 -  activities wherein students were required to follow prescribed experiments to verify known results have mostly been abolished and replaced by experiments of greater scientific interest and learning value. They give students more individual responsibility, require higher-level reflection and challenge their innovative skills. In BUAA, for example, the updated physics lab experiment courses and the re-grouped chemistry courses were matched by a reduction of lab "verification" experiments and a corresponding increase in activities designed to focus on developing students' creative thinking and innovative abilities (BUAA, ICR p. 4). Most courses in PUs provided for peer evaluation of staff teaching effectiveness as well as student evaluation of their teachers' instructional competence. Good practices in teaching/learning were shared with other institutions through seminars and workshops, and through the university partnership program. Updated Courses. The target total for the PUs was 3,340 updated courses by EOP, with an average of 124 courses per PU to be updated. The actual achievement was 4,203 or 126% of the target, with an average of 157 courses updated per PU. With the exception of JLU and SCU, all the PUs exceeded 100% of their targets. Among the highest achievers were MTUC (204 updated courses, 334% of its target), NJU (250 updated courses, 333% of its target), and TJU (141 updated courses, 282% of its target). (MOE/FILO ICR, PPI Table 2). Courses with Reformed Examinations. The main thrust of reformed examinations was to replace the traditional written examination with multiple modes of testing and evaluation of student learning achievement. The reformed examinations focused on students' creativity, independence, scientific thinking, team work ability, skill in gathering information from the Internet and library, and overall capacity to learn. The PUs planned to produce 7,861 examination-reformed courses. The actual achievement was 9,434 (120% of the target). LZU with 1,560 (137% of target) had the highest number, followed by SEU, with 1,300 (130% of target). The lowest number 20 from PKUHSC was, however, 100% of target. Overall, the PUs achieved 120% of the target for reforming examinations of basic courses, ranging from 67% (JLU and SNNU) to 312% (NJU) and 304% (MTUC). In the case of JLU, the original target of 300 courses was for JLU and JUT (the latter having merged with JLU in 2000), and the actual score of 200 examination-reformed courses was a substantial achievement. All the above reflect the PUs' highly satisfactory achievement in improving the conditions for more progressive teaching/learning strategies. Details of updated courses and courses with reformed examinations in selected universities are shown in Annex 8, Table 4. (c) Improving Learning Opportunities and Conditions. This sub-component is rated highly satisfactory. The PUs reached or surpassed their targets for improving the learning conditions and opportunities, as demonstrated by the number of updated/developed textbooks, library open-shelf books, and annual library borrowed volumes (details shown in Annex 8, Table 5). These were in addition to the numerous computer, language and multimedia centers established and/or extended by the PUs. The above-mentioned courses with reformed examinations, as an outcome, produced other outcomes in the form of new courses to meet the objectives of the reformed examinations. An example is CUMT's establishment of a course on creativity aimed at enabling students to master the general principles and methods of developing creativity and innovation (MOE/FILO ICR, p. 68). Fudan University's experience provides an example of improved learning opportunities and the widening range of innovative approaches to student-centered learning. The University's Laboratory Center for Basic Physics Teaching (LCBPT) initiated a succession of distinctive experiment programs, such as "Experiment Gardens," "Self-Taught Experiment," and "Open Experiment," designed to stimulate students' higher-level thinking and motivate their creativity. The Experiment Garden is a "zero-credit" study site which has no - 9 -  access time restriction and offers free entry to first and second year students to try out their favorite experiments (FDAN, ICR p.10). Updated Textbooks. The project achievement was 6,827 textbooks updated or developed, 157% of the target 4,331. All the PUs reached or exceeded their targets, except JLU which produced 139 (75% of its target of 185) updated textbooks. Six universities (BUAA, BNU, HUST, NJU, SNNU, SJTU, TJU) achieved over 200% of their targets (for details, see Annex 8, Table 5). Access to Library Resources. Along with increased service hour of the libraries, the old practice to lock up books and journals in the closed section of the library was abolished. Now twenty-three (85%) of the PUs had at least 50% of their books on open shelves for students to access these resources more easily. The achievements, in percentages, ranged from 100% for seven universities (BUAA, PKUHSC, SEU, LZU, SJTU, XJTU, MTUC) to 37% (BNU). A commendable case was HIT, which set a modest target of 15%, but actually achieved 78% open-shelf books. Library Books Borrowed. Twenty-three (85%) of the PUs reached or exceeded their targets for annual number of borrowed books. Seventeen (63%) of the PUs achieved 50% and higher of book borrowings, and six (22%) PUs had 30-49% borrowings (see Annex 8, Table 5 for details). While the above indicators are important measures of the relative openness of PUs and their accessibility to learning resources for students, their importance should be viewed in conjunction with other factors, such as the availability of reading rooms and carrels in the libraries and colleges that may have reduced the need for open-shelf or take-away books. Many PUs, such as Lanzhou University with nearly 72,000 square meter of library floor space and 39 reading rooms