美国成为高等教育强国的历程是一个利用后发优势、不断创新理念和体制的过程。19世纪末20世纪初的美国还是一个高等教育落后的国家,但已具备强劲的经济和人才后发优势。在社会思潮的影响下,美国高等教育理念突破了既有观念的束缚,崇尚实用与科学相均衡,践行美国式的民主和自由,追求卓越与普及并行。政策与制度的创新为高等教育发展提供了广阔的空间,美国建立了联邦立法与大学自治相结合的管理体制、市场主导的资源配置机制和多样性的高等教育结构体系,开创了高等教育强国的新模式。因此,对于高等教育后发国家来说,要实现赶超目标,既要善于借鉴,更要敢于创新。
America became the higher education power in the 20 th century , which was a period of exploiting advantages of backwardness and innovation in essence.Although American was an undeveloped country of higher education , there were advantages of backwardness in the aspects of economic development and talents.Innovation of ideals is the leading card to exploit advantages of backwardness , so the ideals of American higher education were innovated , showing that upholding pragmatism and science , practicing American democracy and freedom , and pursuing excellence and massification.During the process of turning the ideals into reality , the institutions of American higher education were also innovated , which included the management system combining legislation and autonomy , the distribution mechanism dominated by market , and the plural structural system of higher education.To surpass the advanced , its necessary for undeveloped countries to learn from others , but innovation is more essential.