Navigating Educational Change

Abstract

The professor has made career changes that required alterations of his role and identity at the university and in the scholarly world. Issues surrounding these changes are discussed in relation to China’s educational transformation. The circumstances underlying his choice of career paths and professional pursuits delineate the kind of opportunities and challenges that are embedded in Chinese organization and society. The narrative of his experiences at different academic and administrative positions sheds light on the confidence behind his readiness to take on novel duties and the assertion of agency while he was serving a range of interests. It also provides a snapshot of the ladder of success in Chinese higher education and offers lessons in docility and compliance.