Women academics in Chinese universities: a historical perspective

Abstract

Women academics have represented half of the academic body at Chinese higher education institutions since 2018. However, national and international scientific research on women academics in China has been limited, in contrast with the numerous international publications on women academics working in European, Oceanian, and North American higher education systems. Motivated by this relative lack, this study takes a historical perspective to analyze the role played and the expectations and challenges faced by women academics in Chinese higher education. We organize this history into three periods: (1) the emergence of the modern, Western-influenced university, starting at the beginning of the twentieth century; (2) the creation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949; and (3) the contemporary period, beginning with China’s opening up in the late 1970s. For each of these periods, the study identifies how traditions, changing cultural and societal beliefs concerning gender, and the development of the higher education system in China transformed the role, positioning and activities of women academics. This study contributes to a better understanding of the current status of women academics in China, what has changed, and the challenges they still face to gain further prominence in the country’s fast-developing higher education system.