Historical Review and Pondering of Modernization of Chinese Higher Education

China enjoys a several-thousand-year long civilization and a centuries-old tradition of higher education as well.In the early stages of slavery and feudal society,Chinese higher education acquired a top position over the world,contributing a lot to the continuation,development,transmission and innovation of the culture.From the dynasties of Xia,Shang and Western Zhou to the ones of Sui and Tang,the higher education ascended to its period of greatest glory step by step.During the Song,Yuan,Ming and Qing dynasties(before the Opium War,1840),especially after the main western countries completed the Industrial Revolution in succession,the higher education was over the hill.Although there was a sudden spurt of activity before collapsing,unfortunately such period was rather short.After the Opium War,threatened by warships and cannons of the imperialist Powers,the higher education started to trudge in the quest of its modernization.The essay mainly concerns the way how Chinese higher education can cooperate with the mainstream of the international higher education,and how to embrace modernization under the background of Reform and Open-door policy and global economy.