Peking University and the Origins of Higher Education in China Appropriately renowned as one of the most distinguished universities in the world, Peking University (PKU) has since its inception been at the forefront of higher education in China. In fact, its roots arguably date to the origin of Chinese higher education. This book-written by historian, erstwhile administrator at Peking University, and current vice minister of education in China, Hao Ping-traces the intricate evolution of the university, beginning with the preceding institutions that contributed to its establishment and stretched from the fi rst Opium War of 1839 through the fi rst of several eye-opening defeats for the then-isolated Middle Kingdom to the Xinhai Revolution and the early days of the Republic of China. Hao Ping chronicles the contentious debates between reform-minded leaders who championed Western models of learning and Conservatives who favored the traditional schooling and examination system, providing readers with fascinating details about the workings of the imperial court as well as the very individual offi cials and scholars involved in Chinese educational reform. This authoritative history of the founding of Peking University defends its claim to be the fi rst modern university in China and offers insight into the origins of higher education as it exists in China today. Born in the People's Republic of China's Shandong Province, vice minister Hao Ping received his masters from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and his PhD from Peking University's School of International Relations. He has been both a professor and academic administrator and has held such offi ces as the vice president of Beijing University and president of Beijing Foreign Studies University. He is currently the vice minister of education and the author of several books, including Sun Yat-s en's Revolution and the United States and An Unfortunate Ending: John

Renowned as one of the most distinguished universities in the world, Peking University (PKU or, colloquially, "Beida") has been at the forefront of higher education in China since its inception. Its roots arguably date to the origin of Chinese higher education. Hao Ping traces the intricate evolution of the university, beginning with the preceding institutions that contributed to its establishment, and stretching from the first Opium War of 1839 through the first of several eye-opening defeats for the then-isolated Middle Kingdom to the Xinhai Revolution and the early days of the Republic of China. Hao Ping chronicles the contentious debates between reform-minded leaders who championed Western models of learning and conservatives who favored the traditional schooling and examination system, providing readers with details about the workings of the imperial court as well as the individual officials and scholars involved in Chinese educational reform. This authoritative history of the founding of Peking University defends the university’s claim to be the first modern university in China and offers insight into the formation of higher education as it exists in China today.

Weakened by two Opium Wars and a succession of internal rebellions in the mid-1800s, China’s imperial leaders made a historic decision—to break a tradition of isolation and seek education outside the homeland’s borders. In time, an acquisition of science and technology from the rapidly-industrializing West would enable China to modernize its still-feudal economy and outdated military, thus restoring stability and establishing protection from future foreign encroachment. Today more than 200,000 Chinese are enrolled in colleges and universities across the United States, while the number of Americans choosing to study in China is rising. As we approach mid-century China is assuming a lofty position of world leadership. This book does not attempt to debate or determine the extent to which higher education exchange with the United States has impacted China’s rise . Instead it focuses on the story itself—of Sino-American education trade from its roots in antiquity to the present time—highlighting the people, programs, trials and triumphs that have wrought its extraordinary history. It will offer the first sequential, historically grounded book-length review of Sino-American education exchange that takes the story from its origins to the present day.

This new book tells the story of the rise and fall of Fu Ren University (1925-1952) and provides an analysis of a key Catholic higher education institution in China.

This book investigates the changing opportunities in higher education for different social groups during China’s transition from the socialist regime to a market economy. The first part of the book provides a historical and comparative analysis of the development of the idea of meritocracy, since its early origins in China, and in more recent western thought. The second part then explores higher education reforms in China, the part played by supposedly meritocratic forms of selection, and the implications of these for social mobility. Based on original empirical data, Ye Liu sheds light on the socio-economic, gender and geographical inequalities behind the meritocratic façade of the Gaokao (高考). Liu argues that the Chinese philosophical belief in education-based meritocracy had a modern makeover in the Gaokao, and that this ideology induces working-class and rural students to believe in upward social mobility through higher education. When the Gaokao broke the promise of status improvement for rural students, they turned to the Chinese Communist Party and sought political connections by actively applying for its membership. This book reveals a bleak picture of visible and invisible inequality in terms of access to and participation in higher education in contemporary China. Written in an accessible style, it offers a valuable resource for researchers and non-specialist readers alike.