East or west? tradition and the development of hybrid higher education in asia: Focus on china

Abstract

This chapter examines how external models of higher education have influenced an indigenous Chinese higher education system that dates back several millennia. The Western influence on Chinese higher education institutions began in the nineteenth century, and has syncretically merged indigenous and external forms to create hybrid ”types“ of higher education. While focusing on China, the chapter has relevance to all Sinified nations, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. The arguments presented in this chapter follow the basic notion that the so-called “modern university” is actually a hybrid of indigenous elements, overlaid with Western forms and elements, resulting in a re-indigenized hybrid higher education system.