A Historical Investigation Of The Statutes Of Fudan University (1905-1949)

Fudan University has experienced charter establishing and revising for ten times from its establishment in1905to1949. With historical and comparative methods, this dissertation explores the historical contexts of Fudan University charters. The research intends to interprete how Fudan University constructed its distinctive charters while it followed education rules. The dissertation analyzes the characteristics of Fudan University charters in different periods, with the inner governance structure as the key manifestation, explores the constraint elements in its development, and in the end concludes the distinctive features of Fudan University charters using comparative method. The purpose of the research is to provide beneficial experience to university charter establishing in present days.The dissertation finds out Fudan University charters boast different features in different periods. They are as follows. Ideal is emphasized from1905to1912, regulations are made to supplement charter and democratic management mechanism is established from1912to1924, charter is improved further with university-college management mechanism set up from1925to1937and from1938to1949, the charter is increasingly influenced by the national system because the nature of Fudan University turns national from private.The dissertation suggests that shown by the contexts, Fudan university charters have absorbed quite a number of institutional elements of American universities, such as board of trustees, democratic management, professoriate and securing rights of faculty and student which manifest a style of running university in a democratic way. Obviously, the establishment and revising of charters are constrained by historical environment, such as national regime, development of university organization and ideal of university presidents.Compared with charters of other universities in the same period, the establishment and revising of Fudan University charters demonstrate vivid features. That is, the charters are always led by advanced ideals and keep abreast with the times while meeting the university’s own practical needs. Most importantly, they take a student perspective in the process of developing, respecting the subjectivity of students and secureing their rights fully.The dissertation holds the firm belief that the development of Fudan University charters is a miniature of the exploration of modern university system in China, which provides us valuable experience. A university charter can never exceed the reality. Experience from foreign universities can be learned while domestic traditions must be respected at the same time. Besides, a university charter should handle the relationship between the country and itself properly and above all, it should develop its unique features.