Studies On Cai Yuanpei’s Ideas Of University Administration

An overall view of the history of higher education at home and abroad reveals that the development of a first-rate university is often closely associated with a famous president. Most outstanding university presidents have profound understanding of the ideas of university education, and translate their sound ideas into the administrative practice in the course of the reform and development of their universities. Their ground-breaking work and pioneering endeavors have influenced the development of higher education; meanwhile, their innovation has also created an international influence. Mr. Cai Yuanpei who is the outstanding university president by all standards. He put forward such ideas as "university as a place for high levels of scholarly investigation" and "university as an institute that encompasses all classical studies and embraces all schools of thoughts", and promoted and practiced the schooling principle of "freedom of thought" and "all-embracing spirit in scholarly pursuit" in higher education administration. His absorption of certain aspects of traditional culture and recognition and practice of progressive ideas on democracy and sciences, coupled with his academic training at home and abroad, have given rise to his epoch-making values and ideas. During his term as president of Peking University, Mr. Cai formulated and implemented a series of reform measures, which revolutionized the university and built it into a top university in China. He set up a paradigm for the establishment and development of modern Chinese higher education and laid down the foundation of the modernization of higher education in China. His profound administrative ideas of higher education still offer an important referential perspective and valuable practical guidance for the reform of higher education today.This thesis is divided into three parts. The first part, the introductory chapter, offers a review and analysis of the formation of Cai Yuanpei’s administrative ideas of higher education and identifies the research objectives and significance. Cai Yuanpei’s ideas are discussed from a holistic perspective. The chapter argues that these ideas have not only exerted a profound influence on the birth and development of modem Chinese higher education, but can also offer valuable practical guidance for the reform of Chinese higher education today.The second part consists of4chapters, which form the bulk of this thesis. The second chapter introduces the origin of Cai Yuanpei’s ideas of higher education. The third chapter reviews Cai Yuanpei’s administrative ideas of higher education. The fourth chapters provide an evaluation of Cai Yuanpei’s administrative ideas and summarize the insights that they may offer for the development of modern Chinese higher education. On the basis of an in-depth critical review of Cai Yuanpei’s ideas, the chapters discuss the referential perspective that they offer for modern higher education.The third part is the conclusion chapter. Mr. Cai Yuanpei’s ideas, argues the chapter, have not only furbished modem Chinese universities with a theoretical base for the latter’s sound self orientation, provided important guidance for the democratic administration of modem universities, but also laid down the theoretical foundation for the construction of the modern university system and clarified ideas of the modem university. A review of these ideas may also shed light on the prevention of power abuse in the administrative system of higher education, the enhancement of academic power of modem universities, and the cultivation of modem university students as fully developed individuals.