Democratic Challenges in Sino-Foreign Co-operative Universities

This chapter examines the intersection of neoliberalism and authoritarianism in Sino-foreign co-operative universities (SFCU) and sheds light on their hybrid governance structure. It focuses on a case of faculty-led protest to critically analyse the constraints of hybrid governance while also considering how democratic practices can arise within them. Beyond the reproduction of neoliberal-authoritarian dynamics, it highlights the possibilities of agency and resistance in ‘doubly conditioned’ institutional contexts. Drawing on Lincoln’s theoretical framework, the analysis positions SFCUs within a broader global conversation on rethinking democracy as an open-ended and evolving process.