Contemporary globalization is marked by rapidly and dramatically increasing interdependence, which operates both within and among countries. Increasing global interdependence has profound influence on education at all levels, such as how to deal with a world with more permeable boundaries in which people are on the move more frequently (migration) than ever before in human history, and in which urbanization is increasing at an unprecedented rate. This paper proposes a transformational analysis of contemporary globalization and identifies the increasing challenge for education due to the globalization, including the struggle to match the pace of technology change in society, to provide graduates with skills relevant to contemporary society, and to lead education students to an accommodation with persistent and rapid social change.

By probing into the relationship of senior students  demand for internationalization , students  expected economic returns in future careers, and their individual concept of modernity, this study attempts to explore several factors that are influencing the demand for overseas higher education.

According to policy objective of Chinese-foreign cooperation in operating schools (CFCIRS), the statistical analysis indicates that many problems exist, such as delayed policy-making, inconsistent objectives between the two parties, unbalanced area distribution, improperly designed programs, low quality teaching and so on. Accordingly, the corresponding policies should be established to make CFCIRS a healthy and sustainable development.

The scientificalization¹ of educational research methods was always the most predominant in the two tides of educational experiment in China in the twentieth century, the result of which was unexpectedly dissatisfactory, because researchers misunderstood the connotation of scientificalization in such a degree that resulted in the worship for methods and thought of replacement. If researchers reflect dialectically on the classic codes of experiment, and aim at reconstructing the viewpoint of experiment in education in the dimensions of ideas and pattern, they would guide the research on education by an ideal type , decently intervene the logic of practice  with the logic of theory , so that the theorists and practitioners in education can finally coexist and co-develop.

This research tends to make the experimental study on the mathematics teaching model of situated creation and problem-based instruction  (SCPBI), namely, the teaching process of creating situations—posing problems—solving problems—applying mathematics . It is aimed at changing the situation where students generally lack problem-based learning experience and problem awareness. Result shows that this teaching model plays a vital role in arousing students  interest in mathematics, improving their ability to pose problems and upgrading their mathematics learning ability as well.

More attention should be paid to four issues during the massification of Chinese higher education: (1) how to understand the prime cause of the expansion of higher education; (2) how to reinforce liberal education; (3) how to balance the relationship between equality and excellence; and (4) how to harmonize the relationship between the university, the government and the market. All these are based on the orientation about the ultimate goal of universities. Modern universities must make students and the public understand that their ultimate mission is places where stratagems for profits and opportunities of employment are provided; rather, modern universities should inspire students  rationalistic potencies, cultivate their ability to look upon the development of individuals, society and history from a long-term and all-around perspective.

Neither of the Three Industry  Theory nor the General Agreement of Trading Service  (GATS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) can be the essential criteria to analyze the property of education. The property of education can be defined from consumers  perspective. The direct consumers of education are students; but the ultimate consumers of education include parents, employers, society and governments as well. From the perspective of consumers, education is both a service and a productive institution.

In Chinaºs current educational fiscal decision making, problems are as follows: no law to trust or not abiding by available laws, absence of equity and efficiency, as well as the standardization of decision-making procedures. It is necessary to set up effective fiscal decision-making mechanism in education and rationally devise reliable paths.

This paper examines the changing status of women faculty through an analysis of statistics on China s universities from 1994 to 2004. This paper first presents the trend of a drastic increase in women faculty members in recent years. Further details on the academic ranks of women faculty, their age and highest degrees obtained are also presented. A comparison of female representation in faculty ranks is made between China and a few selected countries. Lastly, this paper attempts to account for the low percentage of female professors in higher education. Recommendations for the professional development for women faculty are made in the end.

Through a quantitative analysis on the school conditions of 71 key universities in the light of some measurable indicators, this paper concludes that all these universities have positively adapted themselves to the massification and diversification of higher education. Suggestions are as follows: (1) the construction of the quality assurance system of universities should be accelerated; (2) more focus should be put on human resources; (3) the education and management of postgraduates should be further enhanced; (4) the work load of faculty members should be reassessed.

This paper reports the development of critical thinking of urban high school students in the Chinese city of Xi an. It presents the assessment of the studentsº two components of critical thinking: dispositions towards critical thinking and critical thinking skills, using the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Results show that the studentsº dispositions toward critical thinking are at an average level while their critical thinking skills are very low. This research also shows that there is no significant difference between students from science classes and arts classes in their critical thinking dispositions while science students have a higher level of critical thinking skills. Students from advanced classes have a higher level of the two components of critical thinking than their counterparts from general classes. There are no differences between male students and female students in both components.