From the Back Cover
China's rise, an increasing emphasis on international education benchmarking, and a global recognition of East Asian countries' success in this regard have brought the issue of Chinese education to the forefront of public consciousness. In particular, the concept of a "Chinese education model" is one that has sparked debate and quickly become a major focus of education research around the world, especially in light of regional achievements vis-à-vis university rankings, bibliometric indices, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and other such benchmarks. Chinese Education Models in a Global Age tackles this controversial issue head on by synthesizing a diversity of analyses from a world-class team of twenty-seven authors. It reveals that Chinese education models, which are present in many different geographic and institutional contexts, have an important influence on social and institutional norms as well as individual belief systems and behaviors in China and beyond. The first of its kind, this edited volume establishes a foundation for future research while providing a nuanced and tightly integrated compilation of differing perspectives on the role and impact of Chinese education models worldwide. It is essential reading for all scholars, policymakers, students, parents, and educators interested in the rising demographic and economic influence of people of Chinese descent on education around the world.
"This book of essays on Chinese Education Models in a Global Age moves easily through both theory and practice on this important topic. The editors, Chou and Spangler bring years of experience and background to giving shape to this topic and selecting the best authors to tackle the carefully chosen chapters. The book provides compelling and thoughtful treatment of the historical background of China's influence on higher education, both in "greater China" and Chinese communities abroad. This book will appeal to those who seek to grasp the complexity of the notion of hybrid higher education as well as the impact of China on the Asia Pacific region. It is masterfully suited to both Asian and non-Asian audiences."
John Hawkins, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Los Angeles
"To citizens of a globalized world, this volume is a fascinating collection of works that move beyond fixed boundaries and even reach a global perspective in some cases. It urges readers to think out of the box, linking together East and West as well as past and present. While focusing on Chinese educational models, the discussions not only show the inroads other places have made into them, but also demonstrate their implications for others especially in a context of a rising Chinese power. This book invites and guides you to think globally about the local."
Rui Yang, Professor of Education, The University of Hong Kong
Chuing Prudence Chou (周祝瑛) received her PhD in Comparative and International Education from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a professor in the Department of Education at National Chengchi University, Taiwan. Her research interests include comparative studies on international higher education reform, gender equity in education, and cultural exchange in rival states. She edited a book entitled The SSCI Syndrome in Higher Education: A Local or Global Phenomenon (2014), which touches upon the ongoing crisis caused by the world-class university rankings and makes a cogent argument for culturally-responsive research in the social sciences and humanities across the non-English speaking world.
Jonathan Spangler is the Director of the Asia-Pacific Policy Research Association (APPRA), an Adjunct Lecturer with the Program in Social Innovation Leadership at National Chengchi University, and a Doctoral Fellow with the Institute of European and American Studies at Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan. Since 2003, he has worked as an educator and curriculum designer in diverse disciplines, including international relations, education, quantitative reasoning, agriculture, and languages, in six different countries. He has spent the past eight years living in East Asia.
