The Dean of Shandong: Confessions of a Minor Bureaucrat at a Chinese University
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- Synopsis
- A Financial Times Best Book of the YearAn inside view of Chinese academia and what it reveals about China&’s political systemOn January 1, 2017, Daniel Bell was appointed dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University—the first foreign dean of a political science faculty in mainland China&’s history. In The Dean of Shandong, Bell chronicles his experiences as what he calls &“a minor bureaucrat,&” offering an inside account of the workings of Chinese academia and what they reveal about China&’s political system. It wasn&’t all smooth sailing—Bell wryly recounts sporadic bungles and misunderstandings—but Bell&’s post as dean provides a unique vantage point on China today.Bell, neither a Chinese citizen nor a member of the Chinese Communist Party, was appointed as dean because of his scholarly work on Confucianism—but soon found himself coping with a variety of issues having little to do with scholarship or Confucius. These include the importance of hair color and the prevalence of hair-dyeing among university administrators, both male and female; Shandong&’s drinking culture, with endless toasts at every shared meal; and some unintended consequences of an intensely competitive academic meritocracy. As dean, he also confronts weightier matters: the role at the university of the Party secretary, the national anticorruption campaign and its effect on academia (Bell asks provocatively, &“What&’s wrong with corruption?&”), and formal and informal modes of censorship. Considering both the revival of Confucianism in China over the last three decades and what he calls &“the Communist comeback&” since 2008, Bell predicts that China&’s political future is likely to be determined by both Confucianism and Communism.
- Copyright:
- 2023
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- Book Size:
- 208 Pages
- ISBN-13:
- 9780691247137
- Related ISBNs:
- 9780691247144, 9780691247120, 9780691254517, 9780691254500
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- Date of Addition:
- 04/07/25
- Copyrighted By:
- Princeton University Press
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Nonfiction, Education, Politics and Government
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.