Challenges faced by Chinese academics in the academic heartland

Abstract

In an attempt to raise China’s international competitiveness, the Chinese government has instituted a series of sweeping reforms in recent years, all with the aim of rapidly expanding the number of higher education places within tertiary institutions. However, this rapid rate of expansion has led to a new set of problems, most notably a scarcity of resources, a drop in educational quality, and a weak international academic standing. In recent years, the Ministry of Education has attempted to alleviate these problems by initiating a series of employment reforms. However, the new reforms have posed a new set of challenges for university academics. Based on the data reported in this study, we can see an increased implementation of managerial measures into the university employment system. The new employment system was viewed by university academics with a great deal of scepticism and disagreement. Ultimately, after serious consideration, the academics we interviewed chose to sacrifice their standards of living in order to maintain a focus on producing serious academic work. However, they also urged the state and university to offer a more agreeable environment in which professors could concentrate on authentic academic endeavors without having to sacrifice work stability.