Visit to China: Universities

Over the past 12 days, we've been able to visit a number of universities in China--Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, China Agricultural University, Fudan University, and Zhejiang University. The conversations with presidents, vice presidents, deans, faculty and students illustrate similarities and differences with US universities.

All the universities we visited are cities in their own right. Beyond classrooms, faculty offices, labs and the gymnasium, there is a complete infrastructure for all the students, faculty and children who live on campus. All students live in residence halls--they do not commute or live off-campus. There are separate residence halls for undergraduates and graduate students. At all the institutions we visited there was also an international dorm (in one case a 4-star hotel) for students from outside China. In most cases, there was also a guest house, where visitors are housed. Huge dining halls are able to feed all these people. But students have other needs, as well, so you will also find small shops for sewing, laundry and dry cleaning, as well as bike shops and other stores. On many campuses, schools for the children of faculty are also provided.

The campuses are large, due to the numbers of students and faculty. But they are also extraordinarily beautiful with green spaces and well manicured gardens. In the case of Tsinghua University, for example, the campus occupies a former royal garden. The agricultural campus of Zhejiang University, located in the middle of Hangzhou, is spectacular, complete with graceful bridges arching over a lake and streams. The lotus ponds were just beginning to bloom. At the new campus of Zhejiang University, historic buildings--a 700 year old temple and house--have been relocated to the campus. The traditional structures are in a garden of their own. The remainder of the campus is ultra-modern, but landscaped with trees, flowers, fountains, streams and sculpture. Irrespective of whether the campus is in a dense urban setting (e.g., Shanghai, Beijing) you have the feel of being in a world apart.

Each of the universities we visited was able to describe delegation after delegation that has sought out their institution--US institutions, Japanese, German, and so on. In spite of the time involved in hosting such groups, the Chinese universities are investing the time, learning about potential partners and then making decisions about what partnerships support their goals.

Most visits begin in the "relationship room." These rooms are rectangular spaces with two large chairs at one end, where the highest ranking individual from each delegation sits. In a meeting between presidents, for example, both presidents sit at the head of the room, with others seated along the walls in descending order of importance. Tea is served to all guests. When the meeting is over, gifts are exchanged.

For the institutions we visited, the university mission was very similar to that of a US land-grant institution--teaching, research and service. However, a fourth element of the mission statement was added to most universities: internationalization. Fudan University speaks of connecting China to the world. At Zhejiang University, for example, faculty must spend at least a year working overseas prior to going up for promotion for full professor. Another strategy being pursued by Zhejiang is to recruit diverse faculty. Their goal is to have one-third of faculty from the Hangzhou region in China, one-third of the faculty from other parts of China, and one-third of faculty from other parts of the world. While we were there, an administrator from Germany had just agreed to join the university.

Many Chinese universities receive funds from their region (or city) in addition to government support. As a result, they work to maintain strong relationships with the community. At Zhejiang University, for example, faculty spend 2 years working in a local area, getting to understand the problems and serving as an "assistant mayor." In the Hangzhou area, industries tend to be clustered in specific regions (e.g., textiles); 70% of the industries in the province are family owned. When faculty return to the university their research is often directed towards solving those problems. And, according to their president, their involvement with government helps them know how to get things done. The parallels with the extension and engagement function of a land-grant university are strong.

Chinese institutions are also actively recruiting Chinese scholars, employed in other countries, to repatriate. They have found that these scholars are able to rapidly establish programs, win grants, publish papers, and receive patents. Although the salary at a Chinese university would not compare with that in the US, the dollars go farther. The experience, along with research dollars, has established a number of rising stars for their universities.

Faculty in China are described as senate faculty, meaning they do teaching and research, or they are non-senate faculty, who have only teaching responsibilities. We were told that faculty are rated each year. Ratings determine salary, which can be increased or decreased.

The increase in refereed journal articles, grant funding and patents were proudly described at the universities we visited.