Ruth Hayhoe is a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Jun Li is an assistant professor in international education policy at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Jing Lin is a professor of international education policy at the University of Maryland, College Park. Qiang Zha is an assistant professor at York University.

From the reviews: "This volume is the result of a multi-year research project on the state of Chinese higher education in the first decade of the twenty-first century. ... The institutional portraits, when combined, provide a good picture of the state of higher education in China today. ... be of interest to scholars of contemporary China with interests far beyond the specifics of higher education." (Kathryn Mohrman, Pacific Affairs, Vol. 87 (1), March, 2014) "Hayhoe, Jun, Jing and Qiang have put together an excellent volume on Chinese universities. As a scholar whose research has not focused on this area in the past, I found the volume extremely informative. ... The volume also did an excellent job of sketching out the direction of higher education as a whole in China and the prospects for a Chinese university model. ... highly recommended for anyone who is looking for a quick overview of challenges and possibilities for higher education in China." (John Allison, International Review of Education, Vol. 58, 2012)

• List of Abbreviations.- List of Figures.- List of Tables.- List of Photos.- Foreword; Robert F. ARNOVE.- Introduction and Acknowledgements; Ruth HAYHOE.- PART I: Overview and Main Themes.- 1. Understanding China’s Move to Mass Higher Education from a Policy Perspective; Qiang ZHA.- 2. Equity, Institutional Change and Civil Society – The Student Experience in China’s Move to Mass Higher Education; Jun LI.- PART II: Portraits of Three Public Comprehensive Universities.- 3. Peking University – Icon of Cultural Leadership; Ruth HAYHOE and Qiang ZHA, with YAN Fengqiao.- 4. Nanjing University – Redeeming the Past by Academic Merit; Jun LI and Jing LIN, with GONG Fang.- 5. Xiamen University – A Southeastern Outlook; Ruth HAYHOE and Qiang ZHA, with XIE Zuxu.- PART III: Portraits of Three Education-Related Universities.- 6. East China Normal University – Education in the Lead; Ruth HAYHOE and Qiang ZHA, with LI Mei.- 7. Southwest University – An Unusual Merger and New Challenges; Jun LI and Jing LIN, with LIU Yibin.- 8. Yanbian University – Building a Niche through a Multicultural Identity; Jing LIN and Jun LI, with PIAO Taizhu.- PART IV: Portraits of Three Science and Technology Universities.- 9. The University of Science and Technology of China – Can the Caltech Model take Root in Chinese Soil?; Qiang ZHA and Jun LI, with CHENG Xiaofang.- 10. Huazhong University of Science and Technology – A Microcosm of New China’s Higher Education; Ruth HAYHOE and Jun LI, with CHEN Min and ZHOU Guangli.- 11. Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University – An Agricultural Multiversity?; Qiang ZHA and Ruth HAYHOE, with NIU Hongtai.- PART V: Portraits of Three Private Universities.- 12. Yellow River University of Science and Technology – Pioneer of Private Higher Education; Ruth HAYHOE and Jing LIN, with TANG Baomei.- 13. Xi’an International University – Transforming Fish into Dragons; Jun LI and Jing LIN, with WANG Guan.- 14. Blue Sky – A University for the Socially Marginalized; Jing LIN and Qiang ZHA.- PART VI: Conclusion and Future Directions.- 15. Is There an Emerging Chinese Model of the University?; Qiang ZHA.- Notes on the Authors.- Index.