The Dean of Shandong: Confessions of a Minor Bureaucrat at a Chinese University

Bell (The China Model) delivers an intriguing if uneven essay collection documenting his tenure from 2017 to 2022 as dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University in Shandong Province, birthplace of Confucius. A native Canadian and a scholar of Confucian thought, Bell was appointed dean to help internationalize the school and promote Confucianism at a time when it was being revived as a model for the Chinese Communist Party. Blending discourses on Chinese culture and politics with accounts of faculty rivalries, the government’s response to Covid-19, and his own “bungles and misunderstandings,” Bell expresses concern over the West’s “demonization of China and especially its political system” and highlights the “independent thinking” that occurs even in periods of increased censorship. He also sheds light on the lasting influence of Confucian thought, touting programs that teach Confucian classics to public officials “as part of an effort to reduce corruption and inculcate a public-spirited work ethic.” Unfortunately, in his eagerness to rebut “crude stereotypes” about China, Bell brushes past the Communist Party’s brutal repression of Muslim Uyghurs, aggressive territorial claims, and surveillance of Chinese citizens. The result is a unique yet flawed contribution to the shelf on modern China. (Apr.)