International Journal of
Information and Education Technology

Abstract

The Chinese Dream presented by president Xi Jinping focused on the renewal of the Chinese nation, the prosperity of the country and the well-being of its people. Incorporating the global influence ambition of China into nation-building and education, this study employed a macro policy analysis approach to synthesize the effects of the state-led ideals on nation-building and the roles to be played by higher education. A total of nine comprehensive policies, covering the period 1985 to 2017, and receptive to globalization, nation-building and higher education were selected. The findings revealed that nation-building in the post-Moa era is built upon three critical priority determinants labelled global influence, socialist market economy and talent management. These core nation-building determinants delineate specific higher education guidelines in terms of citizen education, science and technology, talent management, and innovation amidst accelerating global modernization and freedom-of-mind requirement for the establishment of a socialist consultative democracy. The findings further offer direction to higher education for the provision of a fit-for-purpose workforce capable of operating in both a modern global and local market.