On The Openness Of The University

According to systematic theory, all systems are open with indispensable exchange of substance and information both in and out of systems. As a sub-system of social macro system, university is open. However, it should be pointed out that university's openness has its particular characteristics, as university is an institution for the storage, dissemination and innovation of knowledge.This paper seeks to present a theoretical explanation that opening is the nature of university as well as its inevitable trend. University's opening results from the interaction between ulterior and exterior forces. Its limit depends on the balance of the two kinds offeree. Based on this theoretical framework, we explore the opening of China's universities. The contents of this paper are organized in four parts: The first part outlines the open theory, university's characteristics and connotation of university's opening.The second part is a historical exploration of university's development, arguing that opening is the essential attribute of university, it is enhanced in degree and extension with university 's development. Meanwhile we point out the problems occurring in the process of university's opening in China.In the third part, we mainly discuss theoretically the dynamic mechanism for university's opening. We argue that the impetus to the development of university derives from the interaction between inherent driving force in the knowledge development within university and the external pulling force from social demands. It is between these two kinds of force that the limit of university's opening seeks the balance.In the fourth part, using the conclusions from the above as the analytical framework, we explore some problems concerning the promotion of university's opening in China. Finally we put forward some relevant suggestions.