Factors influencing promotion speed in young instructors’ professional titles in Chinese universities: Case study of C University

Xiaoyue, Liu and Feiyu, Li (2025) Factors influencing promotion speed in young instructors’ professional titles in Chinese universities: Case study of C University. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 14 (3). pp. 174-184. ISSN 2582-8185

The study examines professional title evaluation data from C University in China beginning with the reform of the academic representative work system. It uses logistic regression analysis to examine three factors for academic representative work and six factors for individual characteristics affecting how rapidly young instructors are promoted to vice-senior titles. We measure the degree of influence that these factors have on young instructors’ receipt of promotion over the course of 3 years using model regression analysis. This study found that gender, age, and quality of academic works produced, as measured by the publishing journal’s impact factor, are the key factors determining the promotion speed of young instructors. The higher the quality of the academic work is, the higher the promotion speed is. However, the influence of the academic representative work system is limited, and gender and age play a more significant role. Regression shows that male instructors exhibit higher promotion speed. Promotion speed decreases with age. In addition, increased teaching workload can slow promotion speed to a certain extent, while certain factors such as the level of internationalization and the form of academic work are not significant.