A Study of the Practical Dilemmas and Safeguarding Strategies of Universities in Mainland China in Exercising Academic Freedoms

Abstract

Academic freedom is a universal right in the work and lives of citizens. Academic freedom at institutions of higher education not only refers to the freedoms enjoyed by university faculty members and scholars in teaching, research, and publishing of their views and findings, but furthermore encompasses the freedom to learn enjoyed by students. The uniqueness of academic freedom lies in its uniting of autonomy, openness, conviction, and ambience. There are some practical dilemmas in the exercise of academic freedoms in mainland Chinese universities, such as the administrative power's control and arrogance of academic freedoms, the rights to academic freedom move toward administrativeization, the lack of institutional mechanisms for the protection of academic freedoms. Academic freedom is the soul and character of the university. Mainland Chinese universities need to start from four aspects to ensure the proper exercise of academic freedoms, such as improving the legal system for academic freedoms, formulating a guarantee system for academic freedoms, clarifying the limits of government intervention in academic freedoms, practicing academic freedoms based on academic norms responsibly.

Keywords:

• Academic freedom
• administrative power
• institutional safeguards
• mainland China
• practical dilemma

Note

Notes

1 Translator’s Note: The “double-duty” (双肩挑 shuangjian tiao; lit. ‘carried on both shoulders’) cadre system was first established at Tsinghua University in 1953, enlisting senior students to serve as ideological advisors while continuing to pursue their own studies.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Qi Zhanyong

Qi Zhanyong 祁占勇 is a professor and doctoral advisor at the School of Education at Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China.

Du Yue

Du Yue 杜越 is a PhD student in the subject of Higher Education at the School of Education at Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. English translation © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, from the Chinese text by Carissa Fletcher.