Analysis of the Higher Education Research in the Chengdu-Chongqing Region: A Comparative Perspective Based on Three Major Economic Circles in China

Drawing on literature regarding higher education research retrieved from the CNKI database from 1997 to 2021, this paper used CiteSpace to analyze the current status of higher education research in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. By comparing it with that in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Yangtze River Delta, this paper concluded that the level of higher education research within a region is in line with the level of the region’s economic and social development. As higher education research in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle draws more and more attention, its research areas and topics are becoming increasingly diversified. However, by comparison, the research in this region features a late start and lower participation of researchers and research institutions, resulting in insufficient research in both quantity and quality. Therefore, it is essential to encourage more experts and scholars to participate in higher education research in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. Efforts should also be made to strengthen academic exchanges and cooperation between scholars in Chengdu and Chongqing and establish a long-term cooperation mechanism for higher education research between the two cities. Improved higher education research will definitely facilitate the construction of first-class universities, thus providing human capital and intellectual support for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.