Impacts of Reduced Inequalities on Quality Education: Examining the Relationship between Regional Sustainability and Higher Education
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Dear Author,
1) Need to explain further about the relationship between regional sustainability and higher education.
2) Please add the latest references (2018-2022), and cite papers from MDPI related to your study.
3) Please follow the guidelines, especially references.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
I read this scientific article with great interest. The analyzed study is valuable, original (as a variant approach) and very complex, I believe that the work of the authors is consistent with the topic of the journal. The research addresses the relationship between university/higher education and regional as well as national sustainability in China. The authors identify and analyze the links between social, economic and environmental factors and the effect of the main investigated variables (industrial upgrading; environmental development; foreign direct investment; GDP; GP: green patent; research and development; renewable energy utilization; transport development; etc) on HEA (higher education attainment). Variations between the western, eastern and central regions are reported, with problems and differences particularly identified for the western region. The research results can optimize and guide higher education in this country, in accordance with the particularities of development and the specifics of each region. The two lines of research are clearly defined at the end of the introduction, and the sources cited are consistent with the investigation carried out. I have just a few minor suggestions for the authors and 3 questions:
1. Please refer to the writing guide for MDPI Journals. Citation style involves citing sources in square brackets, but numerically [1], [2]….not using authors' names. I am attaching an article recently published in the journal as a model: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/18/11359/htm. The style you use is similar to APA, if you have used a sourcing software (eg Zotero) then enter the name of the journal/Sustainability and in seconds you will solve this problem. Also, the bibliography involves listing the sources in the order of citation in the text, not in alphabetical order (all the software solves this).
2. Figure 1 (page 4) is not clear, listed factors are not visible, letters are missing (Soci-, Econ-, Envion-, Innova- etc). These are the terms Economic sustainability, Social sustainability. Environmental sustainability etc. It is possible that the doc or docx format document contains the whole words, I have downloaded a PDF document for evaluation. I understand what grounds are being discussed, they then also appear in the tables and in the text, but the graph needs to be enlarged/modified.
3. Data and Methods: Please mention the statistical data processing software of your study.
4. You used several statistical calculation procedures (Sargan's test, Wu–Hausmann test, regression analysis). It may be helpful to indicate the sources that helped you interpret the data and results.
The questions:
- Higher/university education must train and educate graduates who are prepared and adapted to the demands of society and the economy. In my country (south-eastern Europe) I noticed big problems of employment of young graduates, in accordance with the completed university specializations (especially on the socio-human profile, but also in physical education and sports, economic sciences, etc.). The only exception is medicine and pharmacy (more than 90% of graduates work in positions/jobs according to the specialization and qualification obtained). Is this phenomenon also found in China? Are there legal regulations to reduce the number of places for admission to universities for specializations for which there is no longer economic demand? Is there a situation where there are too many specialists in a field of activity (for example inflation of engineers or economists) and too few jobs available?
- Lines 115-118 identify the problem of long distances as a limiting factor of access to academic education. Have the top/prestige universities in China set up new centers or branches/representative offices in the booming economic regions, but at great distances from the metropolitan areas where these universities have tradition and headquarters/infrastructure? The establishment/opening of these new branches would provide equal opportunities for top academic training to young people with potential who, due to distances or limited financial resources, would not be able to study at prestigious institutions.
- Is university education in China free in all universities, or does the state only fund a limited number of scholarships (budgeted students) and the rest of the students pay fees?
I wish you much success in your scientific research.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
İt is very interesting study especially for the development parameters of the regions in China. However, I have some questions to ask author(s). The fixed effects model as a statistical model is non-random, then, is this model providing valid data? Is it referring any source of used the basic econometric model for the present study?
In addition, the used method in this study is very mixed so, the reader can fail to connect among the different concepts. The process could be explained clearly for reader to recognize the results. May I ask the author(s); could be a drawing as a diagram to explain whole process? Because, Figure 1 has not enough to explain the framework for the impact of regional sustainability on higher education interactively.
Regarding the results
For the results, GDP has significantly positive effects on the Higher-Education Attainment (HEA) for the factors of economic sustainability, seems ordinary result. On the other hand, the impact of regional sustainability on higher education seems very complex issue regarding the correlation with some variables. However, this situation could be clarification in the paper more than present. This study found that R&D has a strong positive role in promoting HEA in the eastern and western regions, but has negative effects in the central region (Line 312). This result in terms of the China region seems important as a local information. In essence, this implication of the results could be discussed beyond the China region in terms of the contribution in the literature because of this study includes China region as specific area. Therefore, the present result could be generalized to other regions of the world.
In line 219-220… increasing educational attainment In China leads to faster regionalization, as it can contribute to removing barriers between rural and regional areas where higher-education resources are limited. Our analysis indicated that regional sustainability shows a strong correlation with higher education (Line 265). These sentences seem predictable, however, some important implications could be placed for the other regions as well, in terms of the world.
Additionally, it could be well to mention of fixed-effects model’s limitation and emphasized the social, economic, and environmental factors are unevenly distributed in China (Line 412).
Also, author(s) admitted this model is weak to explain endogeneity issues (Line 161 and 162). This situation should be mentioned in the Limitations. Therefore, there could be sub-title as “Limitation” and of course “Implications”.
Good luck for your paper!
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
NIL
