Higher Education, State and Society: Comparing the Chinese and Anglo-American Approaches

Lili Yang compares core ideas about the state, society, and higher education in two major world traditions, exploring the cultural and philosophical ideas underlying the public good of higher education and highlighting important meeting points between the two world views.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 21 March 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

In this comprehensive monograph, Lili Yang delves into a comparative analysis of core ideas concerning the state, society, and higher education in two prominent world traditions. Through her exploration, she uncovers the broad cultural and philosophical underpinnings of the public good of higher education in these traditions, revealing their distinct social imaginaries. Moreover, she navigates through five critical areas where higher education intersects with the individual, society, the state, and the world, each of which is understood in contrasting ways within each tradition. These five key themes are: individual student development in higher education, equity in higher education, academic freedom and university autonomy, the resources and outcomes of higher education, and cross-border higher education activities and higher education's global outcomes.

By highlighting the similarities between these two world views, Yang identifies significant points of convergence, offering the potential for fostering mutual understanding and cooperation across cultures. This insightful study contributes to our understanding of the complex dynamics and interplay between higher education, society, and the broader global context, paving the way for more inclusive and collaborative approaches to education and development.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350293472