A renowned Canadian scholar of Confucian studies, Dr. Daniel Bell was nominated in 2016 to serve as the Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University in China, effective January 1, 2017. As a fluent speaker of Mandarin and lover of the Chinese culture, Bell found it an honor to be the first foreigner appointed to serve in a politically sensitive position in a Chinese university.
In his position as Dean, Bell had to navigate the bureaucracy of a university, coupled with the restrictions imposed by the Communist Party. Publications in Chinese journals had to be run through the censors before being approved. Publications in foreign journals did not. Despite decades of learning the language and the culture, Bell still found himself committing faux pas that led to misunderstandings.
His appointment catalyzed views from the West that he might be too pro-Beijing, and his interviews and opportunities to speak to Western reporters decreased as the years went by. Though he himself had not changed, his perceived connection to the Communist Party line was enough to reduce his engagement with the political and journalistic world of the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Despite all these restrictions, however, Bell provides a unique view on current Chinese academics. He describes a society changing rapidly, but that still clings to traditional modes such as hair dying for leaders, to avoid the optic of getting old. He explains how leadership is more collective, and compares and contrasts the relative strengths of the Chinese system versus Western democracies.
Fans of China will appreciate Bell's deep dive behind the headlines to explore what life in Communist China is really like and how Chinese citizens perceive the Western powers.
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