Higher Education, Technological Innovation, and Green Development—Analysis Based on China’s Provincial Panel Data

Higher Education and technological innovations have so far proved to be key factors of regional green development as they have been seen to contribute greatly to economic growth and environmental protection. On the other hand, higher education positively supports technological innovation by offering knowledge production and transformation. The majority of the studies being conducted around this have focused more on promoting regional green development by backing the importance of technological innovation and the reinforcement of talent reserve in higher education. However, very few studies have been dedicated to pointing out specific ways in which higher education influences regional green development. In this study, based on provincial panel data for 2003–2020 in China, both the direct and in-between effect of higher education on green development was evaluated using the mediation effect model. Then a panel threshold model was created to explore the regional differences in this effect in China. Key results show that higher education significantly promotes regional green development, and technological innovation plays an in-between role in the above-mentioned influence relationships; there is significant diversity among regions with different developing levels of technological innovation, and the positive impact of higher education on green development in educationally developed provinces gradually decreases, while this positive impact in educationally developing provinces keeps rising. Specific policy recommendations to promote regional green development for higher education mainly include further balancing investment in higher education, coordinating the development of higher education and technological innovation, and strengthening the flow of resources among provinces.