The Dean of Shandong: Confessions of a Minor Bureaucrat at a Chinese University

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

An inside view of Chinese academia and what it reveals about Chinas political system

On January 1, 2017, Daniel Bell was appointed dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong Universitythe first foreign dean of a political science faculty in mainland Chinas 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 Chinas political system. It wasnt all smooth sailingBell wryly recounts sporadic bungles and misunderstandingsbut Bells 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 Confucianismbut 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; Shandongs 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, Whats 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 Chinas political future is likely to be determined by both Confucianism and Communism.

Reviews

"Bell places the minutiae of academic administration in the context of Chinas post-Cultural Revolution attempt to reinstate a complex bureaucratic system informed by the ideal of political meritocracy. His depiction of this goals uneven achievement is enriched by anecdotes about censorship, corruption, the importance of seemingly frivolous aesthetic matters, Shandongs drinking culture, and the occasionally comic failures of Chinese institutions to convey their aims abroad." * New Yorker *
"Fascinating insight into life in China from the perspective of a non-Chinese academic. Bell offers a frank assessment of the realities of being a scholar in China. . . . Highly recommended for anyone interested in academia in present-day China." * Library Journal *

Author Bio

Daniel A. Bell is Chair Professor of Political Theory with the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong. He served as Dean at Shandong University's School of Political Science and Public Administration from 2017 to 2022. He is the author of The China Model, Just Hierarchy (with Wang Pei), Beyond Liberal Democracy, China's New Confucianism (all Princeton), and other books.