There's no denying that China's university system is vastly different from its Western counterparts in countries like the USA and United Kingdom. From teaching methods and ethos to extracurricular activities and college accommodation, life at a Chinese university is a far cry from a Western campus. But which system is better? Will a degree from Peking University (Beida) stand you in better stead than a BSc. from Oxford?

Let the stats do the talking

The figures are telling. The Times Higher Education Ranking for 2010-2011 lists the best 200 universities in the world, positioned according to a variety of criteria including results, teaching standard and ethos. The top five are American (Harvard, California Institute of Technology, M.I.T., Stanford and Princeton), with the UK's Cambridge and Oxford coming in six and seventh place. The first China establishment to feature is Hong Kong University at number 21, and the first Mainland university is Peking at number thirty-seven. Five other Mainland schools feature in the top 200, namely the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei (49), Tsinghua (58), Nanjing University (120), Sun Yat-Sen University (171) and Zhejiang University (197).

The history

The older the university, the better it tends to be, so Western institutions are at an obvious advantage in that they were founded earlier. England's oldest universities – Oxford and Cambridge – were established in 1096 and 1209 respectively, and Harvard in the USA dates back to 1636. Although China's two best-known universities – Beida and Tsinghua – were founded in 1898 and 1911, their lag in the ranking has much to do with the hiatus caused by the Cultural Revolution.

During the decade (1967 – 1977) when many British universities were growing and developing their curricula, Chinese schools were stripped of their faculties and purged of counter-revolutionary academics who posed a threat to Mao's regime. This means that the university system had to be rebuilt from the ground, following the Soviet system in which graduates are shaped to serve the state.

Historically, Peking University had been a hotbed of political activism, with students active in the May 4th Movement of 1919 as well as further important pushes for reform. The spectre of the Cultural Revolution, however, still looms large. A report in the British newspaper The Guardian in March 2011 even referred to screenings for "radical thought" at Chinese universities.

The life of a Chinese university student

It is this Soviet-style ethos and fear of reprisal that has geared modern Chinese university education away from the liberal arts (in which analysis is key) toward a more scientific curriculum. Although many of the top Chinese colleges now prescribe a wider breadth of subjects in the first year, the majority of graduates still hold degrees in pure and applied sciences, medicine, agriculture and engineering. Right from the root, China's education system suffers from a reputation for rote learning and a lack of creative thought. This persists to university level, with Western colleges outperforming in arts subjects.

The view from the ground is that life at Chinese university is tougher than even the Ivy Leagues in the States and the Red Bricks and Oxbridge in the United Kingdom. Although there is pressure at Western universities to perform and snag the best of the graduate jobs, it is nothing compared to the hot-house atmosphere at Chinese colleges. Students in China have been prepared for university since their educational careers began, with everything leading up to the infamous gao kao exams at the end of high school. Once a teen reaches university, there is none of the heady freedom that's synonymous with the frat houses of American colleges, or the parties associated with student life in the West. Chinese students most often live in crowded dormitories, with as many as eight sharing a room. Studying takes up the majority of their schedule, with little time for anything else.

The prospects of employment

One of the truest tests of a university's mettle is the situation for graduates once they have gained their degree. As with the top universities in the rest of the world, a degree from Beida or Tsinghua will almost definitely guarantee you a well-paid job in a good company. The reputation of the high-flying colleges means high status for graduates, and the chance of a better life.

For a Chinese student graduating from Beida or Tsinghua, their prospects are more or less equal to those of a British graduate from Oxbridge, or an American from an Ivy League school: good job prospects, the potential for a high salary, and opportunities for post-graduate study. Top universities the world over share exacting standards and excellent teaching, selecting the very best and most intelligent students. While the Cultural Revolution and Confucian teaching systems may have proven damaging for the Chinese education system, the country's best universities are holding their own in the world ranking.
 

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Keywords: elite universities China Chinese universities versus Western universities life of a Chinese university student Beida and Tsinghua Chinese educational system