Collaborative Innovation Between Schools and Society: Global Trends and Chinese Practices

On April 22, 2023, the new book Collaborative Innovation Between Schools and Society:Global Trends and Chinese Practices was launched at the Yidan Education Forum-Roundtable Forum. This book is the result of a special education research project by the Chen Yidan Foundation and the Graduate School of Education of Peking University. It was authored by Professor Ha Wei and Dr. Fan Ai'ai from the Graduate School of Education of Peking University and published by the World Publishing Corporation.

1. Introduction

Education is both a product of a certain stage in human society’s development and an important means for transmitting knowledge and advancing civilization. However, with the development of formal school education during the industrial era, education at various levels exhibited dual characteristics of alienation: on one hand, the content and form of education became increasingly distant from the realities and needs of contemporary society; on the other hand, education increasingly took on the social function of selecting individuals, with the widening gaps in economic and social status intensifying competition around this selection function.

In this context, exploring collaborative innovation between education and society to break this educational alienation has become an urgent issue facing by contemporary human society. This book focuses on basic education and aims to analyze the practices of collaborative innovation between schools and society globally and within China, based on the theory of the educational ecosystem and the concept of core teaching proposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

2. Lead Authors

Ha Wei

Researcher and Tenured Associate Professor at the Institute of Educational Economics, and Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Education of Peking University. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University and has long been engaged in research on educational development. Before joining Peking University, Professor Ha served as a policy expert at UNDP and UNICEF.

Fan Ai'ai

Associate Editor at the Graduate School of Education, Peking University, and a joint Ph.D. graduate in Management from Columbia University and Peking University. Her research focuses on student development and employment, international education, and family education investment.

3. Expert Recommendations

Tang Qian

Former Assistant Director-General for Education at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

"The crises facing school education and education in general is a key issue that UNESCO has long been exploring and addressing. UNESCO's latest report, Reimagining our Futures Together: A New Social Contract for Education, calls for all sectors of society to play an active role in education. This book vividly interprets the roles and contributions of various social actors in educational collaboration and innovation through its theoretical framework and case studies. The concept of "balanced returns on human capital" proposed in the book provides new ideas for global educational innovation, offering important insights and references for better addressing current and future potential crises in educational systems."

Xie Weihe

Former Vice President of Tsinghua University, Senior Professor in Humanities at Tsinghua University, and Renowned Educational Sociologist

"Twenty years ago, I observed that the transition from an industrial society to an information society demands that personal introspection and experience become an essential form of "new education." Professor Ha Wei's book, set against the backdrop of social changes driven by a new wave of technological revolution, uses case studies from Shenzhen, China, and abroad to construct vivid scenarios of how education can respond to social changes, how schools can extend their boundaries and connect with society, and how students can become social citizens. It deeply reveals the laws and patterns behind educational collaboration and innovation, making it a valuable read for educational practitioners and researchers."

Ding Xiaohao

Professor at the Graduate School of Education, Peking University, and Director of the Institute of Educational Economics of Peking University

"Over the past forty years, China has made tremendous achievements in building a high-quality education system, yet pervasive educational anxiety remains a dilemma facing Chinese society. In the current context of China's "Double Reduction" policy, how should the government, society, enterprises, and families collaborate? How can we build an open, shared, student-centered community for educational innovation? This book answers these questions well both theoretically and practically, showing us the direction and vitality of educational collaboration and innovation. I believe this book will become an important reference for a wide range of educational practitioners and scholars."