Abstract: Higher education (HE) and science and technology (S&T) are subsystems within the broader framework of economic and social development. HE serves as the primary arena for talent cultivation and human capital output, as well as a key venue for the aggregation of scientific and technological resources. Through activities such as teaching, research, and social services, HE continuously contributes talent, ideas, and outcomes to scientific progress. Simultaneously, the advancement of HE relies on the support of scientific resources and achievements to enhance its capacity, standards, and quality. Consequently, the interactive process between HE and S&T forms an open and complex system in which various elements mutually empower and coordinate with one another. Based on a deconstruction of the mechanisms underlying the coordinated development of HE and S&T, this paper employs a coupling coordination degree model, the Dagum Gini coefficient, and spatial econometric methods to analyze the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of HE–S&T coordination in China from 2010 to 2022. It also examines the spatial effects of driving factors, offering insights to promote coordinated HE–S&T development and providing a reference for global strategies toward sustainable, innovation-driven growth. The study finds that: (1) In terms of temporal evolution, the national HE–S&T coordination in China has transitioned from “moderate imbalance” to “mild imbalance” and finally to “on the verge of imbalance,” with the overall coordination level steadily increasing; (2) At the level of China's four major regions, the spatial disparities in the coordination between HE and S&T are pronounced, exhibiting an overall pattern of “eastern region leading, central region catching up, northeastern region stagnating, and western region lagging,” along with an evolutionary trend marked by “the eastern region transitioning toward high coordination while the western region increasingly departs from a balanced state.” At the provincial level, Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong stand out as exemplary provinces of high coordination; (3) Concerning spatial disparities, the overall differences in the coupling coordination degree between HE and S&T in China are gradually narrowing, with the imbalance mainly attributable to inter-regional differences—most notably between the eastern and western regions, while the gap between the central and northeastern regions remains minimal. Narrowing the disparities between the eastern and western regions is key to addressing the overall imbalance in HE–S&T coordination; (4) In terms of spatial association, HE–S&T coordination exhibits a strong positive spatial correlation with significant positive spillover effects among provinces; (5) Analysis of the driving mechanisms indicates that for direct effects, population density and openness exert a positive influence on regional HE–S&T coordination, whereas the direct effects of economic development, infrastructure, industrial structure, and urbanization are not statistically significant. In contrast, concerning indirect effects, infrastructure and openness generate positive spatial spillovers, while urbanization produces negative spillover effects. Accordingly, it is recommended that: (1) Policies for HE and S&T be coordinated to enhance their integration; (2) Cross-regional development linkages and coordination mechanisms be established to leverage the spatial spillover effects of high-coordination provinces and cities; (3) Regional differences be acknowledged, with HE–S&T coordinated development promoted by local conditions; and (4) A favorable external environment be cultivated to drive the deep integration of HE and S&T.

摘要： 高等教育与科学技术作为经济社会发展系统中的子系统，二者相互赋能、协调共进是高质量发展的内在要求，也是一体推进教育发展、科技创新、人才培养的关键一环。在解构高等教育与科学技术协调发展机理的基础上，运用耦合协调度模型、Dagum基尼系数与空间计量方法，剖析2010—2022年我国高等教育与科学技术协调发展的时空特征及驱动因素。研究发现：（1）时序演变上，我国高等教育与科学技术协调度在全国层面上经历了“中度失调—轻度失调—濒临失调”演变历程，协调水平稳步上升；（2）空间格局上，四大区域层面高等教育与科学技术协调度的空间差异明显，呈现“东部领先、中部追赶、东北停滞、西部落后”整体格局和“东部高协调转型、西部脱离失调”的演变趋势，省域层面以“北京—上海—江苏—广东”为高协调示范节点；（3）空间差异上，区域间差异是协调度总体差异的主要来源；（4）空间关联上，高等教育与科学技术协调度具有较强的空间正相关关系，且在省域之间具有正向空间溢出效应；（5）驱动机制分析显示，人口密度和对外开放对本地区高等教育与科学技术的协调发展具有正向驱动作用，基础设施和对外开放产生正向空间溢出效应，城镇化水平产生负向空间溢出效应。