The State, Higher Education and Identity in a Public University in China

The purpose of this thesis is to understand the changes that have taken place in higher education in China from the 1950s to the present. It analyzes the relations between the State, university students, faculty members and university constituents regarding the purposes of the university. This study addresses a central topic within international and comparative higher education: the relationship between State goals for higher education and the efforts of universities to preserve academic autonomy as they contribute to State economic, social and cultural goals, as well as to individuals and regional and local communities.