Institutional mergers in Chinese higher education

Abstract

China is an old civilization with extraordinarily rich traditions in higher learning. Chinese higher education institutions are now trying to assert themselves into the international system just as China is emerging as a major player in world affairs. Well integrated with the international community, the Chinese system has become one of the most influential in the world, in terms of its population size of students and teachers, the ever-growing academic publications it produces annually, and the large numbers of students it sends to and attracts from other countries.