Private University Under Times Changes: A Research On Kuanghua University(1925—1951)

This paper centers on a famous private university——Kuanghua University, tries to discuss the political change on the influence of private universities in modern China, and research those private how to get along with the country, government and political party under this kind of change and influence. Kuanghua university independenced from a famous church university——St.John’s University, and be responsible for the mission of "take back the right to education"for China. Due to the weakness of the Beiyang government, the Ministry of education was unable to intervene a private university. Private universities and the government did not interfere with each other. The political influence on the Kuanghua University, mainly from the Nationalism and Kuomintang,the opposition political power. After the establishment of the National government, Kuomintang stepped up its control of private universities.At that time, Many famous liberalism taught at the Kuanghua University,made the university to beyond education,as a university with the spirit of protest. The struggle between liberals and the Kuomintang tended to intensify,the school finally abandoned the alliance with liberalism,succumbed to the the logic of party education. Although private Kuanghua universityefforts to return to academic standard, away from the political fracas in the 1930s,the relationship between school and government had undergone a subtle change.Private universities from its early was the lack of a solid material foundation in modern China, board of directors was also a false body. In the 1930s, the National Government subsidized private universities, and restricted the development of its liberal arts and law school, Private Kuanghua University adjusted its relationship with the government, hired the central officials as manager, hope to receive assistance from the central government. During the Anti-Japanese War period, the main body of Private Kuanghua University moved to Chengdu,totally dependent on the National Government, hence became subservient to the party and government figures completely. Due to the central government was filled with intrigue, the university became a victim of political struggle. The contradiction between the central and local, also made such a university been taken over by the Sichuan local power,became a localization university. After the victory of the war, Private Kuanghua University moved back to Shanghai, invited the senior officials of National Government to serve as the chairman, hoped to use their position to draw resources from the business sector. This kind of relationship led to the university lost the protest and progressive spirit completely, suppressed the student movement severely. In the suppression and the protest against repression,Kuanghua University gradually towards the end. After the 1949, Kuanghua University merged into the East China Normal University, obedienced to the education and construction of the Communist China. Discussing the political change on the influence of a private university in modern China, and research the private how to get along with the country, government and political party under this kind of change and influence, deeply reflects the complex relationship between private university and government, education and politics.