한·중 연구중심대학의 제도적 동형화와 문화적 특이성에 대한 비교 분석

Abstract

This study aims to provide implications for the future design and operation of higher education systems by comparing and analyzing institutional isomorphism and cultural specificity among research universities in Korea and China. To this end, two universities from each country—Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea, and Southern University of Science and Technology and Westlake University in China—were selected as case studies. Official documents and academic publications related to these institutions were analyzed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with four professors and four students affiliated with the universities in both countries to explore their perceptions and experiences of institutional isomorphism and cultural distinctiveness. The findings indicate that all four universities share a common goal of becoming “world-class research universities” and exhibit institutional similarities through coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism. However, distinct cultural differences remain evident in their institutional structures, governance and management systems, educational approaches, and academic operations. These findings suggest that institutional convergence among research universities should not be understood as simple imitation but rather as a process of reconfiguration shaped by unique cultural contexts. This study demonstrates the coexistence of institutional isomorphism and cultural specificity within the global higher education landscape and provides meaningful implications for the design of education systems and the development of university governance strategies that reflect cultural identity.