An inside view of Chinese academia and what it reveals about China-s political system
On January 1, 2017, Daniel Bell was appointed dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University-the first foreign dean of a political science faculty in mainland China-s history. In The Dean of Shandong, Bell chronicles his experiences as what he calls -a minor bureaucrat,- offering an inside account of the workings of Chinese academia and what they reveal about China-s political system. It wasn-t all smooth sailing-Bell wryly recounts sporadic bungles and misunderstandings-but Bell-s post as dean provides a unique vantage point on China today.
Bell, neither a Chinese citizen nor a member of the Chinese Communist Party, was appointed as dean because of his scholarly work on Confucianism-but soon found himself coping with a variety of issues having little to do with scholarship or Confucius. These include the importance of hair color
