Universities,cultural identity,and democracy: Some Canada-China comparisons

This paper begins with some broad comparative reflections on the role of universities in Canada and China. While the two societies could hardly be more different, their modern universities came into being around the same historical period. Patterned on foreign models, they have nevertheless been expected to contribute to national cultural identity.The second part of the paper considers the link between universities, cultural identity, and democracy in an increasingly globalized world community, and illustrates ways in which academic co-operation between China and Canada have the potential to enhance democratization, if principles of autonomy and intellectual freedom can be instituted in an international context.The third part returns to the question of universities and national cultural identity, comparing the different ways in which scholars in the two countries have conceptualized this link, and suggesting areas where comparative research on universities in the two societies could be carried out.