A university without academic freedom cannot be great
1. Modern and contemporary Chinese higher education, such as Tsinghua University and Yenching University, all had American roots.
2. For the early generation of Chinese students in the US, studying abroad was seen as a window to understanding and connecting with the world. They viewed their time in the United States as a process of searching for a way forward for China. Most of them were not just pursuing a doctoral degree in their field so they could return home to secure a minor official post or simply solve their own employment problems. Instead, the majority aspired to apply what they learned overseas to find solutions for China’s challenges. Studying abroad was about saving China. And they all believed this was their responsibility. They were acutely aware of who they were, what their mission was, why they went abroad, and what they should bring back.
3. Unless there is a sincere and resolute pursuit and adherence to academic freedom at both the ideological and practical levels, China is unlikely to produce another university as great as Southwest Associated University. No institution of higher education in any country in the world can become significant or great without academic freedom.
4. Changing China: Every American who has had contact with China ultimately wants to change it.