Abstract:

The advancement of classification reform in higher education institutions is driven by the integrated need to align university structures with evolving modes of knowledge production and institutional functions, to alleviate structural mismatches between societal demands and the educational supply side, and to facilitate the modernization of educational governance and developmental paradigms. From the perspective of building a leading country in education,such reform is characterized by three key features:a multi-dimensional and structured classification framework,institutional mechanisms for differentiated evaluation and resource allocation,and a governance model characterized by asymmetric empowerment and collaborative co-governance. However,in practice,several challenges persist,including unclear boundaries in classification criteria,underdeveloped synergy among institutional types,and insufficient capacity to support a lifelong learning education system. To shift higher education from homogeneous competition to differentiated excellence and to contribute meaningfully to the construction of an education powerhouse,it is essential to promote policy alignment between classification reform and governance modernization,enhance the dynamic mechanisms of internal and external institutional collaboration,and establish a developmental evaluation system that bridges the boundaries between different types of institutions.

Key words: higher education classification reform, student development mechanism, independent knowledge system, educational system reform, leading country in education