学术软权力:大学学术权力重塑的另一面

The Soft Power of Academics: An Analysis of Remodeling Academic Power

'学术软权力'问题的提出,是对大学学术权力概念的重新审视。学术权力具有鲜明的'软基因'属性和品格。大学的场域里,传统硬权力统御的学术权力运行中,一些软性的、柔性的软权力内容及其方式,作为重塑学术权力的一个侧面,理应被发掘出来并受到应有的重视。在大学内部权力主体多元化的主背景下,知识/文化权力是学术软权力的主根基,学术文化和价值的体认是学术软权力的主势能。学术软权力作为一种典型的软权力,具有非正式性、非强制性、非依附性等特征。重塑学术软权力,需要重塑学术权威、学术影响力及实现从硬权力向软权力的过渡。

The'academic soft power'is a new concept,which is put forward to relate it to academic power.By reviewing and illustrating those intrinsic attributes and characteristics in academic power,the'soft gene'and the approach to its effective work will be discovered so as to provide insights into the remolding of the academic power. The concept of soft power which could be applied in various areas was proposed by Joseph S.Nye in 1990,because it caters for the diversification of contemporary power,the complexity of its relationship,and the varieties of connotation.The soft power,dependent on culture,sense of value and ideology that belong to an indirect way to draw others’attention,is different from traditional hard power functioning in military and economy.The contents include specifically cultural power(cultural and ideological appeal,Joseph S.Nye),value power(attraction from political value,Joseph S.Nye),and system power(ability to reshape international regulations and choose political issues).Hard power enforces its will and arrangements on others by means of command,repression,threat and bribery. The way soft power works is highly similar to the academic power,which is supported and convinced by persuasion,trust and attraction instead of ordering,threatening and bribery. There are three main characteristics of academic soft power.The first one is being unofficial.The unofficial nature of the academic power is also called the unofficial system restraint--unofficial institutions which is equal to a mixture of soft rules to standardize and restrict scholars’sense of value and traditional customs.The mixture aims to attain excellent awareness and convictions in academy,which are unspoken rules,and it aims to offer a standard of value for academic soft power’s operations and to pursue understanding in the same way.It operates with the legitimacy basis and is wellorganized and well-accepted.The second characteristic is optional.The university academic organizational structure is quite loose,without strong and obvious support,different from the departmentalization in the pursuit of obedience and efficiency.It doesn't work according to hierarchy and'dead'systems and rules,depending on free and flexible creation on knowledge and culture.The last one is independence.Academic power is independent on system arrangement of hard power,which means external authorization or appointment play an important part.The academic power’s appearance and operation depend on the obedience and explanation to various culture and knowledge and do not submit to hard power or something like that. There are three main aspects of the main content of the academic soft power and its remodeling.Firstly,remodeling academic authority is necessary.Academic power,working as soft power,is a kind of charismatic authority,based on professional attainment,ability,and temperament etc,with which people can be convinced sincerely.Remodeling the academic authority needs to make itself more appealing,promote people to contribute more and restrict academic morality.besides,respect and reliance it deserves should be given and scholars ought to demonstrate academic authority’s value effect constantly.Secondly,strengthening academic impact is essential.The elites who have built the academic authority,are greatly influential in academic circles,which can even manipulate kinds of decisions in academic activities.Currently,the return of academic power can be realized not only from the perspective of hard power relying on external rules and system construction but also from the perspective of soft power in the internal field of academic power,in order to promote academic influence.Thirdly,the transition from hard power to soft power should be on the agenda.To begin with,although soft power is unofficial,it needs to be guaranteed by hard power which consists of relevant rules and regulations enforced by law.Besides,if academic power is in a shortage of appropriate policies,it will be not convincing and attractive,and lead to complaint and dissatisfaction from inside and outside the university,and will finally lose soft power.