Table Of ContentChina and Europe on the New Silk Road
China and Europe on
the New Silk Road
Connecting Universities Across Eurasia
Edited by
Marijk van der Wende,
William C. Kirby,
Nian Cai Liu, and
Simon Marginson
1
1
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China and Europe on the New Silk Road
China and Europe on
the New Silk Road
Connecting Universities Across Eurasia
Edited by
Marijk van der Wende,
William C. Kirby,
Nian Cai Liu, and
Simon Marginson
1
1
Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP,
United Kingdom
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford.
It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship,
and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of
Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries
© Oxford University Press 2020
The moral rights of the authors have been asserted
First Edition published in 2020
Impression: 1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the
prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted
by law, by licence or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics
rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the
above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the
address above
You must not circulate this work in any other form
and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer
Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Data available
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020937526
ISBN 978–0–19–885302–2
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A.
Links to third party websites are provided by Oxford in good faith and
for information only. Oxford disclaims any responsibility for the materials
contained in any third party website referenced in this work.
Preface
The global order, based on international governance and multilateral trade mech an
isms, built in the aftermath of World War II, is changing rapidly. Notably Brexit and
the retreat of the USA from multilateralism have created waves of uncertainty, not
the least in the field of higher education, regarding international cooperation, the
free movement of students, academics, scientific knowledge and ideas. Meanwhile,
China is launching new global initiatives with its “New Silk Road” (NSR), “One
Belt One Road” (OBOR), or “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI). Maps show the belt
and road as lines that trace the routes of ancient “Silk Roads” that traversed Eurasia
and the seas between China and Africa. But China’s current geopolitical ambitions
are clearly broader, covering economic as well as strategic goals and including a
“Pacific Silk Road,” a “Silk Road on Ice” that crosses the Arctic Ocean, and even a
“Digital Silk Road” through cyberspace.
China is developing its higher education and research systems at speed, and is
actively seeking to cooperate with academic partners along the New Silk Road.
While clearly boosting the internationalization of Chinese higher education
institutions, it is unclear how these new relationships will affect European higher
education and research; how this cooperation will contribute to addressing the
global challenges we are all being faced with, and to the global common good; how
this emerging reality can conform with current Western views and growing criticism
of China concerning the key values of an open society, the belief in fundamental
human rights, dignity, and the rule of law; and how the growing tensions between
US and Chinese trade and security agendas and neonationalist trends influence col
lab or ation. How can universities tackle these and stand firm to defend internatio
nalization, autonomy, and academic freedom?
Clearly, this is not a time to be silent. Therefore the ambition of this book is to be
open to the various perspectives and controversies surrounding the NSR, to build
understanding for both sides, and to strengthen hope for continued global col lab or
ation. It aims to critically explore the possible implications of the NSR for higher
education and research cooperation between China and Europe, by looking at the
main challenges and opportunities, including a consideration of the risks and uncer
tainties in the context of growing sensitivities in relationships between China and
the West. It thus seeks to move away from the Chinese government’s slogans on
OBOR/BRI, to the more complicated reality in the areas of the New Silk Road that
are relevant for higher education.
We seek to address questions regarding how academic mobility and cooperation
are taking shape along the New Silk Road, under which conditions, defined by whom,
