Zhou Zhu-ying (1998)

An overview of the book (213 English words):

The book aims to compare the schooling structure, historical development and socio-cultural features of educational systems of Mainland China and Taiwan, in some feminist and international comparative perspectives.

Chapter one investigates the relationships between family background and educational achievement in the two places by focusing on their university undergraduates and postgraduates with further studies in USA. Chapter two pinpoints differences in historical development of university entrance examination systems and related societal equity issues during and after Cultural Revolution in Mainland China. Chapter three specifies on women job performance in general and career prospects in the position of women university teachers in particular in Taiwan, with a penetrating comparison of females’ educational achievements, women university teachers’ status and their job promotion, benefits between Mainland China and Taiwan.

Chapter four depicts and evaluates the chronological development of comparative educational studies in Mainland China, in juxtaposed comparison with Taiwan. Chapter five summaries a content analysis of the scope, types and titles of books, journals, periodicals, doctoral and other research studies on comparative education and related academic disciplines at all levels of education in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. With respect to recent trends of international higher education and controversial issues related to its reforms, the writer endeavors to consider the possibility of ‘educational transferability’ with some far-reaching implications in future higher educational development of Taiwan.

Background about the author:

Prof. Zhu-ying Zhou earned her doctoral studies in the fields of international and comparative education at UCLA, USA, under the supervisor of Prof. John N. Hawkins. She now works as an associate professor in the Dept. of Education at National Cheng-chi University, Taiwan, with keen rsearch interests in gender differences in Taiwan’s academic higher education and comparative higher education in general.

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