SHANGHAI, September 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Strategic Elsevier-SEEI collaboration to drive more effective formulation and management of policies governing the development of China's academic research 

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, and the Shanghai Education Evaluation Institute (SEEI), announced today the launch of the Elsevier-SEEI Center of Academic Research Evaluation (CARE) during an opening ceremony held in Xuhui, Shanghai, within the Centre for Higher Education Development and Assessment.

The primary goal of Elsevier-SEEI CARE is to routinely analyze academic performance and research data from universities and research institutions across China. Results from these analyses will form the basis for SEEI's strategic-consulting role, advising China's Ministry of Education and supporting effective formulation and development of national policies governing academic research in China.

"SEEI fully supports and welcomes the establishment and continued development of the academic research evaluation center. It will allow us to provide valuable insights into the academic performance of Shanghai's universities as well as consultation services to help the local academic community," said Feng Hui, Executive Vice President of Shanghai Education Evaluation Institute.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nick Fowler, Elsevier's Managing Director for Research Management said, "The launch of Elsevier-SEEI CARE is a direct result of SEEI's forward and innovative thinking, and represents a major milestone towards helping the city of Shanghai become a leading player in Chinese research assessment. Elsevier is privileged to play a pivotal role in this strategic collaboration to support China in strengthening its academic research performance and help advance it to the level of leading international research nations."

Under the strategic collaboration agreement, signed at the beginning of 2014, both Elsevier and SEEI will undertake the following activities over a period of five years.

• Establish a Center of Academic Research Evaluation 

Elsevier and SEEI will jointly establish a Center of Academic Research Evaluation to collaborate on developing criteria, parameters and approaches towards providing an objective and stringent assessment on higher education performance in China.

• Conduct an Analytics Study to Boost Higher Education Within Shanghai's Free Trade Zone 

Elsevier and SEEI will jointly propose to the Shanghai Municipal Government a study to identify current gaps and the requirements necessary to help advance the academic performance of higher education institutions within Shanghai's Free Trade Zone. With SEEI leading the study, Elsevier will provide its analytical services to develop a comprehensive data repository of case studies from other international free trade zones.

• Build Talent and Technical Capabilities in Quantitative Analysis 

Elsevier and SEEI will develop a program to provide the necessary enablement training to research administrators in Shanghai's higher education institutions to raise their skills level in quantitative research assessment.

• Assess the Feasibility and Value of a Talent Mobility Study 

Elsevier and SEEI will evaluate the feasibility and value of conducting a talent mobility study as part of SEEI's education evaluation program. This will involve exploring and identifying new metrics and methodologies beyond publication data to provide objective and comprehensive evaluation of varied research fields across China.

Elsevier-SEEI CARE is located at Xuhui, Shanghai, within the existing "Centre for Higher Education Development and Assessment" executively sponsored by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission.

About Shanghai Education Evaluation Institute (SEEI) 

Shanghai Education Evaluation Institute (SEEI) - affiliated to the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission - is China's first education evaluation agency with origins from the Shanghai Higher Education Evaluation Agency founded in 1996. Over the past 18 years, SEEI has grown into the largest professional agency with the most comprehensive scope of business applications in the field of establishing and maintaining China's performance and quality assurance in education.

About Elsevier 

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions - among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey - and publishes nearly 2,200 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and over 25,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works.

The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contact
Jason Chan
Director, Corporate Relations, Asia Pacific
Elsevier
+65-63490240
j.chan@elsevier.com

SOURCE Elsevier