New China’s Taking Over And Reforms On Missionary Universities

At the end of 19 th century and the beginning of 20 th century, the church attached more importance to higher education and set up several missionary universities in China, which played a role as “Window” in learning from western higher education and stimulated the development of Chinese higher education stepping into the undeveloped form of modernization. Soochow University with its rich history and profound influences is one of the oldest missionary universities in China. After the liberation war, Soochow University has been on adjustment in administration and curriculum system. Meanwhile, it kept enhancing ideological remolding and improving ideological consciousness of the staff and students. In March 1951, Soochow University registered in the Ministry of education, East China Military Committee and cut off all contact with the church thoroughly. In the reform of 1952, like other Chinese missionary universities, Soochow University was cancelled its name and merged into other universities. The extinction of Chinese missionary universities is inevitable for various reasons from social political system, education, economy and themselves. After the faculty adjustment, the Communist Party of China regained education sovereignty and maintained national independence and security. What’s more, greater benefits have been created in Chinese universities. However, the adjustment can have some drawbacks, such as teachers with no real power, the sluggish growth in humanities and social sciences, rude means in ideological remolding and so on. Some are even influential until now.