The Chinese idea of a university in flux: academic freedom and institutional autonomy under entrepreneurial reforms in the GBA
通过对粤港澳大湾区四所高校71位学者的访谈，研究揭示中国创业改革下出现了一种国家主导的学术自由新形态，并分析了政府与市场力量如何共同塑造大学自主权。
The complexity of the idea of a university has been intensified globally as more universities pursue entrepreneurship. For modern universities in China as latecomers, contemporary entrepreneurial reforms are implemented against a backdrop of ongoing interactions between Chinese and Western ideas of a university, with the Western established as the formal system and the Chinese functioning informally yet powerfully. Through 71 semi-structured interviews at four universities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, this study explores how academic freedom and institutional autonomy are perceived by Chinese academics under entrepreneurial reforms. The study has two major findings through Clark’s analytical framework of academic, government, and market forces: (1) A novel form of statist academic freedom is emerging, merging traditional Chinese scholarly values with state-driven entrepreneurial demands; (2) The adapted triple helix model in China emphasises competition and excellence, shaped by a unique blend of state influence and market dynamics. It offers a nuanced perspective on academic freedom and institutional autonomy amidst entrepreneurial reforms in China, highlighting a compatibility with Chinese idea of a university and a response to global entrepreneurial pressures.