Quality Assessment of MPA Program in Renmin University of China Dr' Guangjian Xu Vice Dean and Profe

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Quality Assessment of MPA Program in Renmin
University of China Dr. Guangjian XuVice Dean
and Professor School of Public Administration
Dubai, Dec.9, 2007

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Outline

• Part 1 MPA Program in China
• Part 2MPA Program in Renmin University of China
  (RUC)
• Part 3 MPA program quality assessment process in
  RUC
• Part 4 External organizations for the MPA
  education quality control and assessment

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Part 1 MPA Program in China

• China (Mainland China) introduced the MPA program
  in 24 leading universities in 2001.
• In general, the Chinas MPA may include MPA, MPP
  and MPM, which are usually separated to different
  program in USA or other countries.

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Two kinds of MPA programs in China

• There are two kinds of MPA programs in China in
  present executive MPA and full-time MPA.
• The executive MPA is of part-time program and the
  aim is providing training the people who are
  working in government and other public
  institutions. The applicant must have more than 3
  years working experience

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Two kinds of MPA programs in China

• There is not working experience requirement for
  the full-time MPA and its aim is to educate the
  young people who hope to become the civil
  servants in their future.

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MPA Program in Renmin University of China (RUC)

• RUC has introduced MPA program since 2001 and has
  been one of most well-known institutions in MPA
  education in China. Since 2001, there are 2051
  students enrolled and 1040 students have received
  their MPA degree.

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MPA Program in Renmin University of China (RUC)

• RUC introduced the full-time MPA program in
  China in 2007 and is only university providing
  full-time MPA program so far.

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School of Public Administration

• The School of Public Administration (SPA), RUC,
  was established in June 2001. It offers MPA
  degree and undergraduate degree, master degree
  and PhD degree in the area of public
  administration, public policy and applied
  economics and education management.

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Organization of quality control

• Advisory Committee and Professor Committee, MPA
  Education Center.
• The Advisory Committee is responsible for the
  curriculum evaluation and revision,
• Professor Committee is responsible for the
  selection of teachers and students for
  scholarship awards and Outstanding MPA thesis
  awards
• MPA Center is responsible for quality assessment
  process.

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Collaboration with government

• SPA invites several experts from government to
  give lectures to the MPA students and guild
  students to write thesis. This is so-called
  joint-supervisor system. Those experts or high
  level officials have valuable experiences in the
  public administration and public policy and these
  experiences are very important for the MPA
  education.

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International exchange

• SPA has invited several professors from schools
  of public policy of US, UK and other nations to
  give lectures for the MPA students.
• SPA and Ford School of UM faculty member
  exchange for teaching

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MPA program quality assessment process

• Teaching evaluation In the end of every course,
  the MPA Education Center will conduct an
  evaluation to the student in all classes and the
  result will send to the teachers and Dean of SPA.
  In the end of every academic year, the Professor
  Committee will have an evaluation meeting to
  select Excellent Teacher (s).

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MPA program quality assessment process

• Thesis evaluation in the end of every academic
  year, Professor Committee will have an evaluation
  meeting to select Excellent Thesis and the
  authors will receive award. The best thesis will
  be recommended to National MPA Education Steering
  Committee to bid the Best MPA Thesis of China.

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MPA program quality assessment process

• MPA student Survey meetings MPA Education Center
  will have survey meetings with MPA students in
  the mid-semester in every semester. The staffs of
  the Center will collect the critics and
  suggestions for the course and teaching.

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First national MPA education quality evaluation

• In November 2006, RUC received the first national
  MPA education quality evaluation by China
  Academic Degrees Graduate Education Development
  Center (CDGDC).
• RUC is one of two most excellent MPA programs in
  the assessment.

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First national MPA education quality evaluation

• Prof. Dong Keyong, Dean of SPA, RUC, made a
  detailed report to the five-member expert group
  about the development and quality control of MPA
  in RUC, and answered the questions put forward by
  the expert group members.

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First national MPA education quality evaluation

• The expert group inspected the education files
  and papers associated with MPA and then took a
  view of education environments and facilities.
• The expert group attended a MPA class and had an
  actively talk with the teachers and students.

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First national MPA education quality evaluation

• The expert group gave high appraise for the MPA
  education of RUC, especially for the education
  mission, the management system, the construction
  of teaching team, international exchanges and
  education achievements, etc.

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External organizations for quality control and
assessment

• The National MPA Education Steering committee is
  one of NGOs and its function is setting the basic
  curriculum and providing training for the MPA
  teachers of universities.

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External organizations for quality control and
assessment

• The China Academic Degrees Graduate Education
  Development Center (CDGDC) is an administrative
  department directly under the Ministry of
  Education, One of functions of CDGDC is to
  undertake the task of evaluating and appraising
  the academic degrees and graduate education.

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External organizations for quality control and
assessment

• CDGDC conducted a national quality assessment for
  MPA in 2007 to the 24 pilot universities and most
  universities got good results.

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Future of MPA in RUC

• Put the quality as the top priority
• We hope to develop more substantial collaboration
  with the schools of public affairs and we hope to
  get more successful practices and experiences
  from international colleague.

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Thank you !