Beyond Retirement: Institutional Logics and Governance of Faculty Rehiring in China’s Double First-class Universities

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Developing Faculty as Scholars

Abstract

This study examines the institutional logics and governance structures underpinning faculty rehiring policies in China’s Double First-Class universities. Using qualitative content analysis of policy documents from 32 universities, it identifies four dominant logics: academic productivity, organizational stability and knowledge continuity, cost-efficiency, and regulatory compliance. Findings reveal how universities embed these logics within governance practices such as performance-based compensation, mentorship structures, resource controls, and procedural accountability. These governance arrangements illustrate how institutions integrate multiple logics to manage academic labor under aging pressures, balancing national policy alignment with internal strategic needs in China’s evolving higher education system.

Author

• Tianyu Wang, Xiamen University