Chinese ways of thinking in the transformation of China’s higher education system

Abstract

Contemporary comparative and international studies of higher education reforms have been overwhelmed by the powerful influence of economic and political realities. Cultural impact, especially of traditional ways of thinking, has often been ignored, despite the fact that traditional ways of thinking have never stopped functioning. Focusing particularly on the role of the traditional ways of Chinese thinking, this chapter attempts to offer an alternative cultural perspective to examine the development and transformation of China’s higher education system. It reveals the historical continuity and the cultural characteristics of the Chinese higher education system. Applying a holistic Chinese way of thinking and in light of the major events in the contemporary reform of China’s higher education, this chapter discusses the tensions between short-term targets and fundamental educational goals, the ideal and the reality, the Chinese and the Western, the individual and the society in China’s contemporary university reforms. By adopting a cultural perspective, this chapter distinguishes itself frommany studies of modern Chinese higher education reforms that focus almost exclusively on the post-1949 era. It represents a deliberate attempt to trace current practices to their historical and cultural roots, and delves deep into the current reform endeavours.