The distribution pattern of first-class universities began to loosen.

01

After the relocation of central enterprises, double first-class universities have also moved.

According to reports from Hebei News Network and Great Wall.com, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing University of Science and Technology, and Beijing Forestry University will move to Xiong’an New District, Hebei Province. It is expected to recruit students in the fall of 2025 and 2035. All relocation is complete.

This means that Xiongan New District will soon welcome the first batch of double first-class universities, and Hebei will also bid farewell to the history of no double first-class university headquarters.

Previously, the headquarters of four central enterprises, China Star Network, Sinochem, China Huaneng, and China Mineral Resources Group, successively settled in Xiongan New Area, making Hebei the fourth largest headquarters of central enterprises after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong.

This time, the relocation of subordinate colleges and universities is the same as the relocation of the headquarters of central enterprises. It is not as simple as building a branch/branch school in form, but with the goal of overall relocation, and finally takes root from Beijing to Xiongan New Area.

Different from the popular cross-provincial running of schools in previous years, this time it is a real relocation; it is not a market-driven independent behavior of colleges and universities, but a top-level design based on the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei and the release of non-capital functions.

More importantly, no matter whether the headquarters of central enterprises or the relocation of subordinate colleges and universities, it is not a one-time action, but just opened the curtain.

Previously, officials stated that universities, hospitals, and headquarters of central enterprises affiliated to Beijing ministries and commissions will be relieved to Xiong'an in stages and batches.

Beijing's 14th Five-Year Plan also proposes to support the orderly transfer of some central administrative institutions, headquarters enterprises, and colleges and universities in Beijing to Xiong'an New Area.

This means that in the future, there will be more headquarters of central enterprises, universities, hospitals and even administrative departments, as well as many second and third-tier subsidiaries of central enterprises.

Xiongan New Area is expected to become another new growth pole in Hebei and even in the north.

02

The relocation of colleges and universities may benefit the whole of Hebei.

As the first batch of relocated universities in Beijing, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing University of Science and Technology, and Beijing Forestry University are not only affiliated universities, but also double first-class universities.

According to the newly released 2023 Chinese University Rankings of Soft Science, 4 affiliated colleges and universities rank among the top 100 nationwide, and Beijing University of Science and Technology and Beijing Jiaotong University even enter the top 50.

In contrast, Yanshan University and Hebei University of Technology, which rank in the first echelon of universities in Hebei, rank 94th and 106th respectively.

If all these colleges and universities are finally relocated to Xiongan New Area, Hebei will not only officially bid farewell to the history of not having a headquarters of "Double First-Class Universities", but also is expected to become one of the provinces with the largest number of Double First-Class Universities.

After all, as a member of the "four provinces of mountains and rivers", Hebei's economic strength is not weak and its population is not small, but higher education has always been a "heartache".

According to the data of the Ministry of Education, Hebei has a total of 124 general colleges and universities, including 60 undergraduate colleges and 64 junior colleges, and the number of undergraduate colleges ranks seventh in the country.

Although the total number is large, the general strength of universities in Hebei is located in the middle and lower reaches. Not only is there a lack of top universities, but the only double first-class university, Hebei University of Technology, is also located in Tianjin next door.

Behind this is the historical entanglement between Tianjin and Hebei. The capital of Hebei Province has undergone 11 changes, and Tianjin has existed as the capital of Hebei Province many times.

When Tianjin was restored as a municipality directly under the central government in the 1960s and the capital of Hebei Province was moved from Tianjin to Baoding and then to Shijiazhuang, these colleges and universities did not move along with them, but stayed in Tianjin.

Therefore, although Hebei University of Technology is located in Tianjin, it is jointly established by Hebei, Tianjin and the Ministry of Education; at the same time, more than 70% of the enrollment quota is tilted towards Hebei.

At the same time, in the past few years, Hebei University of Technology has had close contacts with Shijiazhuang, and has established several research institutes in the provincial capital, which was once considered an important signal of returning to Hebei.

However, to this day, both the headquarters and the main colleges of Hebei University of Technology are still located in Tianjin, while North China Electric Power University, Northeastern University and other double first-class universities also have branch campuses in Hebei, but they are not the headquarters.

Therefore, the relocation of Beijing University of Science and Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University and other universities may really change this situation.

Regardless of whether the enrollment index will be tilted towards Hebei, the arrival of hundreds of thousands of college students is bound to accumulate more energy for the high-quality development of Hebei.

03

The regional structure of colleges and universities across the country has not been adjusted for many years.

In the city matrix of Chinese universities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing are the first echelons;

Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Xi'an are the second echelon;

The pattern that Tianjin, Changsha, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, etc. go hand in hand has existed for a long time.

This is compared with the distribution of double first-class universities:

Beijing (34), Shanghai (15), Nanjing (13), Guangzhou (7), Wuhan (7), Chengdu (7), Xi'an (7), Tianjin (5), Changsha ( 4), Harbin (4), Hefei (3).

The formation of this situation is the result of several major adjustments in colleges and universities in history.

The first time was the major adjustment of colleges and departments in the 1950s. Some university departments were withdrawn and merged, and a number of new engineering colleges were born. The traditional regional center became the biggest beneficiary.

The second is the third-line construction period. Based on the needs of preparations for war and balanced development, a large number of universities, research institutes, and factories moved to the central and western regions. During this period, central cities in the west such as Chengdu, Chongqing, and Xi'an became beneficiaries.

The third time was the relocation of Beijing School. From 1969 to 1970, based on the special situation at that time, 13 universities in Beijing, including the University of Science and Technology of China, moved out to Anhui, Shaanxi, Hebei, Hubei, Henan and other places.

After the reform and opening up, among these colleges and universities, five colleges and universities including China Agricultural University returned to Beijing to run schools;

China University of Mining and Technology, University of Earth Sciences, Petroleum University, North China Electric Power, etc. choose two places to run schools. For example, China University of Geosciences has two schools in Beijing and Wuhan, and China University of Mining and Technology has two schools in Beijing and Xuzhou.

There are still 4 universities remaining in the local area, including the University of Science and Technology of China based in Hefei, Wuhan University of Technology in Wuhan, Xi'an University of Technology in Xi'an, and North China University of Water Conservancy and Hydropower in Zhengzhou.

After these three rounds of major adjustments, the regional structure of my country's first-class universities has basically been fixed. Although many new universities were established later, they have not really formed a force for change.

04

Today, some new changes are taking place.

In recent years, with the earth-shaking changes in the urban economic structure, some economically strong cities in the east have begun to desperately build universities, or start from scratch, or introduce branch campuses of well-known universities, trying to change this pattern.

Shenzhen and Suzhou are among the best. With the help of strong financial strength and industrial competitiveness, the two places have attracted a large number of 985 colleges and universities to run schools across provinces. The admission score of Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen Campus even surpassed that of its headquarters in Heilongjiang.

However, with the ban on "prohibiting running schools across provinces and places", this path has gradually become impossible.

The reason why it is strict is that the biggest beneficiaries of colleges and universities opening branch campuses across provinces are often developed coastal cities, and the central and western regions are facing the dilemma of brain drain, which is not conducive to the balance of education.

However, although running schools across provinces and places was suspended, there are still two exits.

One is to encourage universities in Hong Kong and Macau to open branch campuses in the Pearl River Delta based on the consideration of the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The comprehensive strength of universities in Hong Kong and Macao ranks among the top in the world. According to the QS2023 university rankings, 6 universities including the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology rank among the top 100 in the world.

These colleges and universities are not lacking in the consideration of building branch campuses in the Pearl River Delta.

At present, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) have officially started enrolling students, and the mainland branches of the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and City University of Hong Kong are also advancing in an orderly manner.

The other is the relocation of colleges and universities affiliated to Beijing to Xiong'an.

The site selection of four affiliated colleges and universities including Beijing University of Science and Technology has been settled, marking the beginning of a new round of relocation of Beijing universities.

Unlike the 13 Beijing schools relocated to various places decades ago, this time the main layout is in the Xiongan New Area, but the resources transferred, whether it is the headquarters of central enterprises, universities or other institutions, will eventually benefit the entire Hebei Province.

This is an opportunity for Hebei and a new opportunity for Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.