Exploring the Relationship between Higher Education and Common Prosperity: A Global Perspective and Insights from China

Abstract

A full understanding of the relationship between higher education and common prosperity is of great importance for effectively exerting the positive role of higher education and promoting the realization of common prosperity. China attaches great importance to the development of higher education and sees it as the key to building a leading country in education. However, to date, detailed discussion of how higher education promotes common prosperity is relatively limited, so this chapter is devoted to further deepening the understanding of the relationship between higher education and common prosperity. The typical paths of China’s education for poverty alleviation and the contribution of higher education include improving higher education opportunities for children in poor areas; with the technological advantages, higher education efficiently and conveniently extends high-quality courses and teaching resources to universities in under-resourced areas; the implementation of education pairing assistance in higher education; higher education contributes to industry-based poverty alleviation. The discussion in this chapter will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between higher education and common prosperity and provide new insights for further deepening research in this field. Achieving common prosperity through higher education is a long-term process in both theory and practice.

1. Introduction

Steadily promoting common prosperity is one of the most important and urgent tasks encountered in China’s social and economic development in the long historical period of the present and the future. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has placed achieving common prosperity for all on a more important agenda. The 10th meeting of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs has stressed the need to pursue common prosperity in high-quality development [1]. The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC mentioned common prosperity eight times and clearly stated that “Achieving common prosperity is a defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics” [2]. China’s strategic objectives, by 2035, are to make more notable and substantive progress in promoting the people’s well-rounded development and prosperity for all; by the middle of the twenty-first century, to largely achieve common prosperity for everyone. So far, the importance and urgency of achieving common prosperity have been widely recognized by academics and policymakers. The current priority is to find effective approaches to further promote common prosperity. As a key driver of economic growth, innovative development, and improved income distribution, investment in human capital has been identified by the World Bank as one of the pillars of poverty reduction strategies. As one of the most important forms of human capital, education has always played a fundamental, leading, and comprehensive strategic role in China’s economic and social development. When education in a country thrives, the country will thrive, and strong education makes a strong nation. The focus is therefore increasingly on achieving common prosperity through empowerment in education.

It is of great significance to explore the role of higher education in achieving common prosperity. Like many countries around the world, China sees higher education as a critical component of its national development strategy. In 2023, at the 5th group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee stressed that “To develop a leading country in education, higher education is the key” [3]. Moreover, the existing literature also indicates that the vigorous development of higher education has played a positive role, to varying degrees, in cultivating high-level talents for the country and society, promoting economic growth, enhancing people’s sense of happiness and well-being, and promoting sustainable development [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. With the Chinese government continuously increasing investment in higher education, China has transitioned from mass access to universal access with a gross enrollment rate of over 50% from 2019. In 2022, China’s gross enrollment rate in higher education was 59.6% [10], almost double that of a decade ago, when the gross enrollment rate in higher education was only 30% in 2012 [11]. According to the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, China’s gross enrolment rate in higher education is expected to reach 60% by 2025 [12]. Table 1 illustrates the scale of development of higher education in China over the past decade in terms of postgraduates and undergraduate in regular higher education institutions (HEIs). The numbers of entrants, enrolments, and graduates in higher education have shown a positive trend of continuous growth. However, there is currently a lack of in-depth discussion in the literature on the relationship between higher education and common prosperity, which limits our comprehensive understanding of the relationship between higher education and common prosperity especially in the Chinese context. China is at a critical stage in building a leading country in higher education, and higher education, as the most important form of advanced human capital, is essential to achieving common prosperity.

(Unit: ten thousand people)	Year
	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Number of postgraduate entrants	59.0	61.1	62.1	64.5	66.7	80.6	85.8	91.7	110.7	117.7	124.2
Number of postgraduate enrolments	172.0	179.4	184.8	191.1	198.1	264.0	273.1	286.4	314.0	333.2	365.4
Number of postgraduate graduates	48.6	51.4	53.6	55.2	56.4	57.8	60.4	64.0	72.9	77.3	86.2
Number of undergraduate in regular HEIs entrants	688.8	699.8	721.4	737.8	748.6	761.5	791.0	914.9	967.5	1001.3	1014.5
Number of undergraduate in regular HEIs enrolments	2391.3	2468.1	2547.7	2625.3	2695.8	2753.6	2831.0	3031.5	3285.3	3496.1	3659.4
Number of undergraduate in regular HEIs graduates	624.7	638.7	659.4	680.9	704.2	735.8	753.3	758.5	797.2	826.5	967.3

Table 1.

Developments in the scale of higher education in China over the past decade.

Data source: National Bureau of Statistics (https://data. stats.gov.cn/).

2. What is common prosperity

On the international level, concepts closely related to “common prosperity” include “inclusive growth” and “End poverty in all its forms everywhere” (Sustainable Development Goal 1).

2.1 Inclusive growth

Prior research describes inclusive growth as another version of common prosperity [13]. The “Framework of Inclusive Growth Indicators” and the “Inclusive Wealth Index” are presented separately here.

2.1.1 Framework of inclusive growth indicators

Over the past 20 years, Asian developing economies have made significant strides in reducing extreme poverty, but income inequality in many economies remains severe, with the poor and other vulnerable groups unable to share the benefits of socio-economic development. Continuing in this way will threaten social stability and even trigger political turmoil, with negative consequences for the long-term sustainability of economic growth. To better assess and monitor the effectiveness of inclusive growth policies, the Asian Development Bank designed the “Framework of Inclusive Growth Indicators” in 2011. The Framework of Inclusive Growth Indicators consists of five dimensions and their sub-dimensions, with a total of 35 indicators [14]: poverty and inequality (income and non-income), high, efficient, and sustained growth to create productive jobs and economic opportunities, social inclusion to ensure equal access to economic opportunity, social safety nets, good governance, and institutions. The Asian Development Bank defines inclusive growth as the concept of equal opportunity in economic growth, and the above indicators reflect this interpretation. Inclusive growth aims to expand the economy with a focus on creating a fair investment environment, increasing productive employment opportunities, and ensuring equitable access to opportunities, so that each social class, regardless of their circumstances, can participate equally and contribute to the growth process.

2.1.2 Inclusive Wealth Index

The Inclusive Wealth Index aims to measure a country’s ability to create and sustain human well-being over time. It is used to assess whether a country’s social welfare, or inclusive wealth, is improving and whether this progress is sustainable [15]. According to the latest Inclusive Wealth Report 2018, a country’s inclusive wealth is the social value of all its capital assets, including natural capital, human capital, and produced capital. The data show that 89 out of 140 countries have experienced an increase in inclusive wealth per capita and 96 countries have experienced an increase in adjusted inclusive wealth per capita compared to 1990. The 2014 data show that human capital has the highest share in the capital structure of inclusive wealth at 59% (with education at 33% and health at 26%), while produced capital and natural capital account for 21% and 20%, respectively. The emergence of the Inclusive Wealth Index highlights a crucial fact: human capital, which includes education, population, labor, and skills; produced capital, which includes man-made machines and infrastructure; and natural capital, all affect a nation’s level of inclusive wealth to varying degrees.

Although different international organizations have not yet reached a consensus on the definition of inclusive growth, it generally encompasses the following aspects. First, it emphasizes the simultaneous development of monetary and non-monetary aspects, recognizing that prosperity is not only measured by monetary indicators, but also includes the pursuit of prosperity beyond monetary aspects and the well-rounded development of humanity. Second, inclusive growth emphasizes sharing and is committed to reducing inequality and poverty and narrowing the development gap between marginalized and privileged classes to ensure that more groups and individuals benefit from development outcomes. Third, inclusive growth values participation and constructiveness, providing more opportunities for more people to participate in and contribute to economic and social development. Finally, inclusive growth emphasizes sustainable growth, paying attention not only to the quantity but also to the quality of economic growth, with a special focus on environmental governance and ecological protection to achieve green and sustainable economic prosperity. Together, these aspects constitute the multidimensional characteristics of inclusive growth. In summary, the principles and measures proposed by inclusive growth provide a blueprint for more inclusive economic and social development, helping us to reflect on our development philosophies and growth models, and to build on strengths and address weaknesses in policy design.

2.2 End poverty in all its forms everywhere

In 2015, all members of the United Nations (UN) unanimously adopted “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, which is centered on the “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs). Following the development philosophy of “leaving no one behind”, the SDGs aim to call on and guide all countries to completely transform their development philosophy to ensure that all citizens of the planet, now and in the future, can live sustainably, equitably, peacefully, and prosperously. The SDGs consist of 17 goals, including no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation, and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions, and partnerships for the results [16]. Indeed, many of the goals mentioned in the SDGs have much in common with China’s common prosperity. For example, the urgency of achieving the goal of poverty eradication is underscored by the fact that poverty remains a global challenge. According to estimates, approximately 8.4% of the world’s population still lives in extreme poverty, lacking even the most basic necessities. Data show that if this trend continues, about 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty by 2035, and only a third of countries will be able to halve their poverty rates. Therefore, it is imperative to implement concrete and effective measures around the world to eradicate poverty and ensure that no one is left behind, by ensuring equal access to resources for the previously marginalized and impoverished.

3. The connotation of common prosperity in the Chinese context

3.1 The political economy explanation of common prosperity

At the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said: “We have thus been able to keep adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, and to guide the Chinese people in advancing our great social revolution. At the fundamental level, the capability of our Party and the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics are attributable to the fact that Marxism works”. The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC further elaborated the meaning and basic connotation of the “two integrations”. It is emphasized that only by integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional culture and only by applying dialectical and historical materialism, we can provide correct answers to the major questions presented by the times and discovered through practice, and can we ensure that Marxism always retains its vigor and vitality [2].

Through a critical analysis of the Western path of modernization and its theoretical responses, Marx developed a theoretical framework for human society to pursue a path of modernization driven by economic development to enhance human progress. This contribution not only paved the way for the realization of genuine common prosperity but also provided a solid intellectual foundation for such an endeavor by offering a theoretical basis for our understanding of common prosperity. First and foremost, in the Marxist perspective, common prosperity is seen as a defining feature of an ideal society and a desirable standard of living for all individuals. Second, Marxism posits that common prosperity is closely linked to the advancement of productive forces. Furthermore, within the Marxist framework, common prosperity challenges various forms of private property and critiques capitalist private ownership. Finally, Marxism contends that common prosperity enriches the cultural dimensions of human society and establishes the foundation for the complete realization of individual freedom.

At present, some scholars understand the connotation of common prosperity mainly from the perspective of political economy. For instance, research has approached the theory of common prosperity from the perspective of Marxist political economy, pointing out that the theoretical connotation of common prosperity includes public ownership as a prerequisite, the development of productive forces, and the growth of wealth as a foundation, fair distribution as a key, and the all-rounded development of human beings as the value purport. The political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics not only inherits the core thoughts of Marxist political economy on the connotation of common prosperity but also establishes the theory of common prosperity in the primary stage of socialism based on China’s specific realities and successful practical experience. It emphasizes that the overall leadership of the CPC is the political premise for common prosperity, that building a moderately prosperous society in all respects is the material foundation for common prosperity, that the socialist basic economic system provides institutional support, and that common prosperity coordinates the development of material and cultural civilization. It also states that the ultimate goal of common prosperity is to promote the well-rounded development of people [17]. There is also research that approaches the issue from the perspective of political economy, using theories such as the Marxist labor theory of value, surplus value theory, and socialist essential theory, pointing out that common prosperity involves the organic combination of production and distribution, fairness and efficiency, market and government, and short-term tasks and long-term goals [18].

In summary, from the perspective of political economics, the connotation of common prosperity includes elements such as public ownership, development of productive forces, fair distribution, and well-rounded development of human beings. It requires an organic combination in various aspects such as production and distribution, fairness and efficiency, market, and government, as well as short-term tasks and long-term goals. Understanding the connotation of common prosperity will help future researchers to delve into the practical significance and realization path of common prosperity.

3.2 Common prosperity from a policy perspective

In the new stage of development, the concept of common prosperity in China emphasizes well-rounded development that integrates both material and cultural aspects. It focuses on overall growth and the shared benefits of development, with the aim of achieving sustainable and shared development for all. In China, high-quality development focuses on ensuring that all people share in the benefits of development. The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out that “It is the modernization of common prosperity for all. Achieving common prosperity is a defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and involves a long historical process” and “We will keep distribution according to work as the mainstay with multiple forms of distribution existing alongside it, and we will build an institutional framework under which primary, secondary, and tertiary distribution are well coordinated and mutually complementary. We will work to raise the share of personal income in the distribution of national income and give more weight to work remuneration in primary distribution” [2].

The 10th meeting of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs emphasized that “Rather than being egalitarian or having only a few people prosperous, common prosperity refers to affluence shared by everyone, both in material and cultural terms, and shall be advanced step by step” [1]. The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC also pointed out that enriching the people’s cultural lives, achieving common prosperity for all is one of the essential requirements of Chinese modernization [2].

3.3 Summary of the connotative features of common prosperity

Based on the review and analysis of literature and policies, the connotation of common prosperity has the following common characteristics: it emphasizes the importance of both development and sharing, and genuinely promotes the well-rounded development of individuals in both material and cultural terms.

3.3.1 Clarifying the relationship between development and sharing

Development and sharing are two important dimensions of common prosperity in China. To achieve common prosperity, the first step is to achieve prosperity, i.e. to continuously increase the overall wealth of the whole society through sustainable, high-quality economic growth, i.e. to effectively expand and improve the “cake”. This is essential to regulate income distribution and ultimately achieve the goal of common prosperity through a fair distribution of resources. Without sustainable economic growth, discussions about common prosperity would only result in equal poverty. However, simply expanding the “cake” is not enough to achieve common prosperity. In addition to ensuring material prosperity, the key issue in ultimately achieving common prosperity is how to distribute prosperity fairly. The focus of making the “cake” bigger and better lies in economic growth, while the focus of common prosperity is mainly on income distribution. Effective distribution involves many factors, but the most important aspects are the narrowing of income gap and equitable access to public services, which has been increasingly recognized as a consensus among policymakers and academics [19]. In essence, the core of common prosperity lies in clarifying the relationship between development and sharing. It is crucial to ensure that the benefits of development reach all people in a fairer and more equitable way, which can be achieved by establishing rational systems, optimizing income distribution, and improving the provision of public services, all built on the foundation of high-quality economic development. This is a broad and complex research topic that requires concerted efforts from policymakers, academia, and various sectors of society.

3.3.2 Achieving material and cultural prosperity

Common prosperity encompasses two important aspects: material and cultural prosperity. Material prosperity is the foundation for achieving cultural prosperity, while cultural prosperity provides value guidance, motivation, and intellectual support for material prosperity [20, 21]. A healthy society is inevitably one that pursues common prosperity in both material and cultural aspects, seeking not only material conditions and economic indicators but also cultural enjoyment and happiness indices. It strives for the harmony of the natural ecology and the abundance of the cultural lives [22]. Preliminary research suggests that an individual’s level of income, accumulated wealth, and access to public services determine their level of material wealth and the extent to which they can achieve better development [23]. In the past, however, there has been a greater emphasis on material prosperity, with relatively limited discussion and attention paid to the content of cultural prosperity. Looking at the current situation, the achievement of cultural prosperity often lags behind. As a Chinese saying goes, “Only when the granary is full will people learn etiquette; only when people are well-fed and clothed will they know honor and shame”. In some areas, although there is a relatively high level of material prosperity, the level of cultural prosperity remains low and needs to be improved [24]. Given the importance of cultural prosperity and the relatively scarce literature on this topic, more research and analysis of the mechanisms for enhancing cultural prosperity are needed in the future.

4. The relationship between higher education and common prosperity

4.1 Higher education and economic growth

The perspectives of human capital theory have raised awareness of the significant value of investing in the human capital of higher education in contemporary society, primarily in terms of the positive individual and societal returns to higher education. Higher education is not only a crucial way for individuals to accumulate human capital, to improve their professional knowledge and skills, and thus to increase their productivity and competitiveness in the labor market, but it is also an essential driver for the entire society’s economic development. The preliminary results of the relationship between (female) tertiary school enrolment (% gross) and GDP per capita, based on World Bank data in Figures 1 and 2, also confirm the positive impact of expanding higher education on promoting economic development globally. Especially, in the age of the knowledge economy, higher education has emerged as a key force for countries and regions in attracting and nurturing talent to drive economic innovation and development. In fact, the relationship between education and economic growth has been extensively studied in previous literature and has produced a large body of empirical evidence [25, 26, 27, 28, 29]. Most research suggests that education can improve the quality of human capital and promote long-term, sustainable economic growth, thus providing an essential foundation for achieving common prosperity. For example, Min [30] comprehensively summarized the mechanisms through which education promotes economic growth, which mainly include the following aspects. First, education cultivates high-quality human capital, increases total factor productivity, and thus promotes economic growth. Second, by improving individuals’ knowledge and skills, education provides the labor force needed by related industries, thus promoting the optimization, and upgrading of industrial structure, which further promotes economic growth. Third, education helps to improve the labor and agricultural productivity of farmers, advance people-centered new urbanization, and thus promote economic growth. Fourth, education contributes to expanding the middle-income group, renewing consumption trends, boosting consumer spending, and ultimately promoting economic growth. Meanwhile, the crucial role of higher education in economic growth has received considerable attention in research studies. Higher education can contribute to economic growth through in several ways, such as cultivating professional talents needed in various industries, enhancing the employability of graduates, improving total factor productivity, promoting technological innovation and research and development, deepening cooperation between industries, universities, and research institutes, and promoting the optimization of the industrial structure. Of course, the relationship between higher education and economic growth is mutually beneficial and symbiotic, and its influence is subject to specific conditions.

Figure 1.

Scatterplot of the relationship between tertiary school enrolment (%gross) and GDP per capita.

Figure 2.

Scatterplot of the relationship between female tertiary school enrolment (%gross) and GDP per capita.

4.2 Higher education and shared development

Narrowing the income gap is key to promoting shared development and achieving common prosperity. A review of the literature shows that existing research mainly involves the dual role of education in reducing the income gap. On the one hand, education promotes human capital accumulation, elevates national economic growth and overall income level. Inequality in human capital between different social groups leads to income inequality, which can be bridged by education, especially high-quality education. A recent study based on panel data from 144 countries (regions) found that a universal increase in the level of education can effectively reduce a country’s (region’s) Gini coefficient, thereby narrowing the income gap. And this positive effect is most evident in low-income countries(regions) [19]. On the other hand, there are inconsistent conclusions in previous literature. For example, a study found that the role of education expansion in promoting income distribution equality is relatively weak based on the case of the BRIC countries [31]. Zhou [32] examined the factors driving changes in income inequality in China between 1996 and 2016 and concluded that at least half of the worsening of income inequality over this period can be attributed to the expansion of college enrolment and the rising returns to education. In summary, there is currently no consensus on the relationship between education and income gap, which requires further exploration and validation by future researchers [32].

Shared development means ensuring that the fruits of economic and social development reach all members of society. In recent years, there has been a surge of literature based on China’s university expansion policy of 1999, exploring the impact of higher education development on individuals and society. Some research conclusions show that university expansion can reduce crime rates, improve teacher team construction level, narrow the gap between disadvantaged groups and advantaged groups’ educational returns and have positive effects on individual health and health behavior, and have different degrees of impact on housing ownership and wealth. For instance, Wang et al. found that university expansion significantly reduced crime rates, implying that providing more educational opportunities can suppress criminal behavior in society to some extent based on various statistical yearbook data [33]. Dai et al., analyzing the impact of university expansion on the teacher labor market, found that the significant expansion of higher education between 1990 and 2005 significantly increased the number and quality of teachers, with this effect being more pronounced for women and those living in underdeveloped areas [34]. Huang et al. found that because of the expansion of higher education enrolment policies, the educational returns of students from disadvantaged backgrounds have narrowed the gap with their peers from more advantaged backgrounds [35]. Fu et al. [36] investigated the influence of higher education on health and health behaviors. The data results show that for each additional year of education, the probability of reporting good health and good memory increased by 1.9 and 3.1 percentage points, respectively, while the probability of being overweight, smoking, and drinking alcohol decreased. This suggests that higher education has a positive impact on health and that education may influence non-economic benefits (such as health) to individuals through channels related to resource acquisition and price effects [36]. Additionally, a research report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in the United Kingdom reveals that higher education has a significant impact not only on early career earnings but also on their growth rates in the future. On average, men with higher education earn about 25% more than those without, while for women, the gap is more than 50% [37]. In the meantime, there are also studies that have found a certain gap between the actual and expected effects. For example, some research has found that university expansion has to some extent led to the Matthew effect of income gap between regions and genders, with return rates to higher education being significantly lower for western regions and females than for eastern regions and males [38]. The expansion of higher education has only increased the opportunities for low-income groups to attend higher education, but this does not mean that they can receive quality or elite education, i.e. they can often only attend schools of relatively low level and quality [39, 40].

Meanwhile, rising intergenerational income inequality and declining intergenerational income mobility are increasingly important challenges facing China and other countries. According to Fan et al. [41], the correlation between the income of individuals born between 1981 and 1988 and their parents’ income has increased significantly compared to those born in the 1970s and 1980s. This trend deserves a great deal of attention from academics and policymakers [41]. Taking the United States as an example, research by Chetty et al. [42] found that only about 50% of those born in the 1980s have real incomes in adulthood that exceed those of their parents, while this proportion rises to 90% for those born in the 1940s. This reflects the exacerbation of wealth distribution problems and the consolidation of social class during the process of economic growth in the United States [42]. Attention to the impact of higher education on social mobility is therefore of great importance in addressing this issue. In-depth investigations on the impact of higher education on income mobility can provide empirical support for addressing the problems of intergenerational income inequality and declining intergenerational income mobility.

5. The potential mechanisms of higher education in promoting common prosperity

Poverty eradication is the primary goal of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and it is also one of the key issues to be addressed to achieve common prosperity. China’ s success in poverty reduction has demonstrated and substantiated the “China Solution” to the world. Amid persistent global poverty and a widening gap between rich and poor in some countries, China has realized its poverty reduction goal from the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. By the end of 2020, by China’s current poverty threshold of RMB2,300 per person per year (based on the 2010 price index), all of the 99 million rural poor, as well as the 832 counties and 128,000 villages classified as poor, had emerged from poverty, and regional poverty was eliminated.

“To fight poverty, we must first fight against ignorance, and to help the poor, we must first help to improve education”. China has implemented targeted poverty alleviation strategies, embarked on a poverty reduction path with Chinese characteristics, and formulated a unique theory of poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics. A key aspect of this strategy is to prioritize education as a fundamental approach to breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty and achieving prosperity and poverty alleviation. Specifically, China has implemented targeted education assistance, focusing on the most urgent, prominent, and critical issues related to the poor people’s access to various forms of education. Great efforts have been made in the top-level design of the targeted poverty alleviation through education, and a comprehensive system covering all levels of education has been established. This ensures that the policy benefits the vast number of impoverished people while effectively raising the level of educational development in poor areas. Among these, higher education in China has made a significant contribution to poverty alleviation.

5.1 University enrolment opportunities

Targeting higher education opportunities at students from impoverished backgrounds and expanding their access to higher education can help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. According to the Ministry of Education, about 5.14 million poor students in China have received higher education since 2012, providing millions of poor families with their first college-educated generation. Through higher education, these students have mastered vital employability skills, thereby increasing their personal and family capacity to overcome poverty. This not only supports their upward social mobility but also empowers them to make a positive contribution to their hometowns.

5.2 Distance education and digitization of higher education

Higher education has leveraged the technological advantages and developments of distance learning, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence to deliver high-quality courses and educational resources efficiently and conveniently to universities in impoverished and under-resourced areas, providing broader learning opportunities and support to students in these areas. For instance, since 2013, the Ministry of Education has launched the “MOOC westbound” to establish the curriculum sharing alliances between eastern and western universities. This initiative provides intellectual, technological, and service support for talent cultivation in western universities in China. It precisely meets and responds to the current faculty and curriculum needs of these universities, strongly supports the development of their unique characteristics, and promotes the economic and social development of the western region. Over the past 10 years, more than 700 universities in the western region have enrolled a total of 39.3 million students through the alliance platform, with an overall satisfaction score of 95 points and significant improvements in academic performance.

5.3 The education pairing assistance in higher education

Targeted pairing assistance in higher education for underdeveloped regions in China includes helping universities in the areas of faculty construction, talent cultivation, discipline development, and research capacity. This is achieved by inviting renowned experts and scholars to participate in academic exchanges and deliver lectures, facilitating the mutual assignment of cadres and teachers, and introducing well-established talent cultivation models from high-level universities to strengthen the supported universities. To further implement the strategy to develop the western region, the Ministry of Education launched the targeted pairing assistance plan for higher education in 2011, which established targeted pairing relationships between 13 pairs of universities, such as Peking University and Shihezi University, Tsinghua University and Qinghai University. By 2020, the number of supported schools had increased to 103 and the number of supporting schools had increased to 119. The education pairing assistance in higher education plays a vital role in China’s efforts to eliminate absolute poverty and promote regional coordinated development through targeted assistance from economically developed regions to underdeveloped regions.

5.4 Industry-based poverty alleviation

Prior research has shown that since 2000 in China, regions with a higher share of industrial value added have had smaller rural-urban income gap [43]. Theoretically, if a region upgrades its industries and adopts new technologies, it can improve labor productivity and increase output. On the other hand, if a region’s industrial development is in line with its comparative advantage, it can create more employment opportunities, enabling impoverished individuals to earn income through work and share in the benefits of economic development. Therefore, universities use their unique disciplinary strengths to help impoverished counties improve their top-level industrial development design and formulate industrial development plans that suit local conditions. Through experts, professors, science and technology service groups, medical service groups, and other professional teams, these institutions delve deep into impoverished counties to actively promote initiatives such as building science and technology industrial parks, establishing core industry demonstration areas, strengthening the collective economy, and constructing poverty alleviation workshops. Meanwhile, they promote and develop local characteristic industries, such as rural tourism and traditional folk arts and crafts, to promote the development and upgrading of traditional industries such as agriculture, handicrafts, and agricultural product processing in poverty-stricken counties, thereby improving product quality and added value. For example, China Agricultural University has successfully promoted the development of plateau-specific agricultural industries in Zhenkang County, Yunnan Province, using its academic resources and professional expertise. Specifically, the university has submitted 4 industry reports, introduced 7 new technologies and 45 new vegetable varieties, trained 160 agricultural technicians and leading rural entrepreneurs, and trained over 300 farmers. They have also provided on-the-ground advice to over 1000 farmers, impacting an area of over 2000 hectares [44].

5.5 Theoretical framework

In conclusion, based on the above literature review regarding the relationship between higher education and common prosperity from national and global evidence, understanding the connotation of common prosperity in the Chinese context and incorporating the valuable experiences from China’s higher education initiatives aimed at promoting common prosperity, we have further developed a theoretical framework that illustrates the role of higher education in promoting common prosperity in order to provide fresh analytical perspectives for future research in this area [45] (see Figure 3). This section summarizes the potential mechanisms through which higher education promotes common prosperity as follows.

Figure 3.

Mechanisms of higher education in promoting common prosperity.

6. Conclusion and future prospects

In today’s world, a country’s competitiveness is significantly shaped by the competition for high-level talent, and the emergence of such talent is deeply intertwined with the quality of talent development at the higher education stage. Therefore, exploring how to further stimulate the important contributions of higher education to national development and individual well-being has become a highly significant issue of concern for countries around the world. The Chinese government also places a high value on higher education, seeing it as the key to building a leading country in education. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized the need to create conditions that are more inclusive and fairer for people to get better education and improve their development capabilities, as well as shaping a development environment that provides chances for more people to become wealthy [46]. There is no doubt that improvement and progress in these areas are inextricably linked to the role of higher education. Higher education can not only promote common prosperity but is also a core component of the common prosperity of all people. Based on our calculations, the total number of individuals with higher education in the labor force in all provinces of China was about 4805.218 million in 2005, and this number steadily grew over the years, reaching about 16650.44 million in 2020. Concurrently, the per capita economic development level also showed a steady increase. Furthermore, as the number of individuals with higher education in the labor force increased, the per capita economic development level also rose accordingly (see Figures 4 and 5).

Figure 4.

Annual changes in the total number of tertiary-educated people in the labor force and GDP per capita in each province of China from 2005 to 2020.

Figure 5.

Scatterplot of the relationship between the total number of tertiary-educated people in the labor force and GDP per capita in each province of China annually from 2005 to 2020.

This chapter systematically reviews and discusses the concept of common prosperity, the connotation of common prosperity in the context of China, the relationship between higher education and common prosperity, and the potential mechanisms through which higher education can promote common prosperity. This contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between higher education and common prosperity and provides new insights for the further development of the field. In addition, it is worth noting that the realization of common prosperity through higher education is a long-term process, with many aspects requiring further exploration and development, both from a theoretical and practical perspective. For instance, it includes the following aspects:

Further develop understanding and empirical investigation on the mechanisms through which higher education contributes to common prosperity. The role of higher education in promoting common prosperity is multifaceted, but there has been a relative lack of comprehensive analysis in this area. Only a clear and comprehensive delineation of the various mechanisms through which higher education promotes common prosperity can provide valuable theoretical underpinnings and decision-making guidance for the steady promotion of common prosperity. In particular, the complex relationship between higher education, economic growth, and shared outcomes deserves further study. Additionally, given the different stages of economic development and macro-environments in different countries, the mechanisms of higher education in achieving common prosperity (or inclusive growth, sustainable development goals) are also heterogeneous and require exploration and analysis based on each country’s actual circumstances.

Further strengthen the cultivation of young people. University graduates are often part of the highly educated cohort in the labor market and serve as an important reservoir of labor that is expected to enter the middle-income group in the future. It is therefore crucial to improve the quality of talent development in the higher education level to make it more responsive to market demands and to ensure that the supply of talent from higher education matches the needs of the labor market. Future research is encouraged to explore the supportive measures that can be implemented by the government, universities, and enterprises to enhance the competitiveness of university graduates in the labor market and further unleash the potential of university students to enter the middle-income group. Such support and efforts from all sides have important practical implications for achieving common prosperity.

In-depth examine the relationship between higher education and cultural prosperity. Common prosperity consists of material prosperity and cultural prosperity. Previous literature has extensively discussed the influence of education development on material prosperity, particularly economic growth. There is ample evidence of the relationship between higher education and material prosperity, but relatively little discussion of the cultural aspect of prosperity. In reality, however, the achievement of cultural prosperity often lags behind. In some regions, while high levels of material prosperity have been achieved, there is still room for improvement in cultural prosperity. At present, people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of mental health for the common prosperity of cultural life, as levels of mental health are closely linked to feelings of happiness and fulfillment. Mental health problems among university students are on the rise worldwide, particularly as academic competition increases and the pressures of family conflict, social demands, and job scarcity grow. In China, the joint issuance of the “Special Action Plan for Comprehensively Strengthening and Improving Student Mental Health in the New Era (2023–2025)” by the Ministry of Education and other seventeen departments underscores the determination to promote the comprehensive development of student mental health, thereby promoting cultural prosperity [47]. The introduction of this action plan demonstrates the increasing societal attention to cultural prosperity and aims to achieve this goal by strengthening student mental health work. However, there is still a need for further research and practice on the common prosperity of cultural lives, which requires more attention and in-depth exploration. In future research, it is essential to strengthen empirical research on cultural prosperity, to delve into the relationship between cultural and material prosperity, and to explore effective approaches and strategies for promoting cultural prosperity, thereby contributing to the comprehensive achievement of common prosperity.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.