Analysis Of The Evolution Of University Boundary—Based On The New Institutionalism Theory

The nature of the university is its academic attribute,and the boundary of university is the combination of universality and particularity.This thesis considered the new institutionalism in organization theory as main perspective to study university boundary.The main purpose of this thesis is to clarify the definition of university boundary,review the evolution of university boundary,and analyze the factors that affected the evolution of university boundary through historical analysis and documentary analysis.Based on the theories of organization boundary and the attributes of the university,the current paper regards university boundary as the function boundary between university and social environment.It enacts both 'distinction' and legitimacy',lights the way of university,highlights the academic attribute and legitimacy university pursued.University boundary is not immutable and it reflects the interaction and construction between university and social environment under certain historical circumstances.The evolution of university can be divided into three stages:infancy,formation,and expansion.In infancy,university boundary highlighted the identity of the gilds of scholars(universitas),and its legitimacy mainly came from the privileges issued by the Church and the authorities.University of Paris was the representative university in this stage.In the formative stage,university boundary emphasized the function of academic community,Rationalism and reality provided legitimacy for the formation of university boundary,which could be represented by Humboldt University of Berlin.While the university boundary in its expanding stage indicated that the university has become an axis of society.University boundary keeps expanding under the effects of Pragmatism,government,industry and the transformation of the nature and production of knowledge,represented by Harvard University.Predictably,the continuous expand of university boundary in the future has its necessity and limits,and the efficiency boundary will be more important.Generally,the legitimacy of knowledge,political legitimacy,economic legitimacy and cultural-cognitive legitimacy are key institutional factors that promote the evolution of university.Among' these factors,the legitimacy of knowledge is the logic starting point;political legitimacy is the inevitable way for the evolution of university boundary;economic legitimacy offers rationality,and cultural-cognitive legitimacy provides logical clues for the evolution of university boundary.Therefore,a frame of the evolution mechanism of university boundary can be constructed.