Effects and Risks of Projectization in University-Government-School Cooperation: Evidence from China

Abstract

Within China’s project-based governance system, the projectization of University–Government–School (U-G-S) cooperation has become a dominant mode of educational collaboration, reshaping teacher education partnerships and basic education reform. However, its governance implications remain underexplored. This study examines the formation logic, practical effects, and structural risks of projectized U-G-S cooperation in the Chinese context. Using a qualitative institutional analysis approach, the research integrates policy document analysis, theoretical interpretation based on project-based governance, resource dependence, and path dependence theories, and illustrative case evidence from existing literature. The findings indicate that projectization enhances precision, resource mobilization, and procedural standardization through time-bound cycles and performance-based evaluation, thereby improving the operability of cooperation. At the same time, it generates structural tensions, including goal alienation, path dependence, and the amplification of regional disparities resembling a Matthew Effect. These tensions stem from the dominance of instrumental rationality embedded in technical governance. This study provides a systematic institutional interpretation of both the benefits and inherent constraints of projectized U-G-S cooperation and offers insights for optimizing governance design in policy-driven educational systems.