Research, development, and academic culture in Chinese universities: A historical reflection

As drawn from the experience of European universities during the medieval period, a university can be mainly defined as a scholarly institution for independent thought, criticism, and creativity that is governed, in large measure, by its community members (Hetherington 1965; Jaspers 1959; Martin 1972). Research is seen as a scholarly activity that helps to define the principal functions—that is, creating new knowledge, pursuing truth, and transmitting culture—that are central to a university’s identity (Newman 1959; Clark 1984). A university should maintain a certain distance and independence from the surrounding culture so that it may pursue truth without external interruptions from government, business, or religion (Moor 1993; Mori 1993). Copyright © 2015 John N. Hawkins and Ka Ho Mok.