The Chinese University 3.0 in a Global Age: History, Modernity, and Future

Abstract

Some contend that almost all universities follow institutional patterns derived from Western models and that all Asian universities are based on European academic models and traditions. However, the Chinese University 3.0 may be exceptional, demonstrating key characteristics of China’s scholarly tradition, though it has been strongly influenced by various Western models over the twentieth century. Taking a historical-cultural approach, this chapter constructs the concept of the Chinese University 3.0, investigating its key values and features and possible contributions in a global age. First, the chapter differentiates the three distinct stages of Chinese universities in history and looks into their institutional development and characteristics. Then, it focuses on the Chinese University 3.0 moving toward world-class status and mass higher education by reflecting on such core values and features as self-mastery and intellectual freedom, humanist (Zhi-Xing) mission, and institutional diversity (He’er Butong), to demonstrate how they differ culturally from the dominant Anglo-Saxon and American models but share some commonalities with the continental European and Japanese models of the university. The final section considers policy implications of the emerging Chinese model, its lessons for reform and practice, and its potential role in fostering vibrant democracies and global dialogue among civilizations in the future.