ABSTRACT
In recent years, a number of China's prestigious universities, driven by the goal of achieving “first-rate” university status in a globalized world, have been engaging in various curriculum reviews and educational reforms. A good number of universities have initiated reforms in curriculum design, administrative structure and modes of learning and teaching. In the process of change and renovation, there has emerged a wide variety and range of research interests and practice in general education (GE). Over the last few years investigation of general education and curriculum design across China and in a number of Asian and American research universities has been carried out by the Center for Liberal Education of Tsinghua University. Basing the discussion on these surveys and research, this chapter starts with a survey of the origin and development of general education in the West and in China, and then proceeds to showcase the rise of general education in China in recent years. It then discusses the position of general education in higher education and how such a position should orient and affect curriculum design. The recently developed core courses and general education programs of Harvard and Columbia universities in America and Fudan, Beida and Tsinghua in China are illustrated and discussed as typical modules indicative of both achievements and problems. The chapter concludes by suggesting possible approaches to dealing with the problems.
