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Comparative Discursive Analysis of University Mission Statements: Insights from Chinese and American Higher Education

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Title: Comparative Discursive Analysis of University Mission Statements: Insights from Chinese and American Higher Education
Language: English
Authors: Su Guixuan (ORCID 0009-0004-4528-8658), Liu Wenyu (ORCID 0000-0003-3581-594X)
Source: Higher Education Quarterly. 2026 80(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Comparative Education, Discourse Analysis, Universities, Institutional Mission, Position Papers, Preferences, Nationalism, Cultural Background, General Education, Community Involvement, Cultural Differences, Organizational Communication
Geographic Terms: China, United States
DOI: 10.1111/hequ.70093
ISSN: 0951-5224
1468-2273
Abstract: In the context of globalisation and ongoing educational reforms, universities are of increasing importance as central platforms for knowledge creation and talent cultivation. The mission statements articulated in institutional narratives play a crucial role in shaping the cultural identity and public image of universities. This study applies Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis (CACDA) to examine the 'About' sections of 147 'double first-class' Chinese universities and the top 150 US universities. Using AntConc for keyword, collocation and concordance analysis, this study identifies recurrent rhetorical strategies and sociocultural themes in institutional self-narratives. We outline a stratified systemic functional transitivity module to connect clause-level choices with identity work in mission texts. The findings reveal that while Chinese and American universities emphasise a global vision and research excellence, Chinese institutions place a stronger emphasis on national identity and cultural heritage. In contrast, American institutions focus more on liberal education and community engagement. These differences reflect distinct cultural, economic and political contexts in higher education, offering insights for cross-cultural academic collaborations. The study contributes to higher education research and practice by linking corpus patterns, clause-level realisations and organisational identity claims in mission discourse. This combined linguistic approach not only deepens theoretical understanding of identity construction in higher education but also informs more effective institutional communication.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1494190
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Comparative Discursive Analysis of University Mission Statements: Insights from Chinese and American Higher Education
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Su+Guixuan%22">Su Guixuan</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4528-8658">0009-0004-4528-8658</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liu+Wenyu%22">Liu Wenyu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3581-594X">0000-0003-3581-594X</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Higher+Education+Quarterly%22"><i>Higher Education Quarterly</i></searchLink>. 2026 80(1).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 15
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+Education%22">Comparative Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discourse+Analysis%22">Discourse Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Universities%22">Universities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Mission%22">Institutional Mission</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Position+Papers%22">Position Papers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preferences%22">Preferences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nationalism%22">Nationalism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Background%22">Cultural Background</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22General+Education%22">General Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+Involvement%22">Community Involvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Differences%22">Cultural Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+Communication%22">Organizational Communication</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+States%22">United States</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/hequ.70093
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  Data: 0951-5224<br />1468-2273
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: In the context of globalisation and ongoing educational reforms, universities are of increasing importance as central platforms for knowledge creation and talent cultivation. The mission statements articulated in institutional narratives play a crucial role in shaping the cultural identity and public image of universities. This study applies Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis (CACDA) to examine the 'About' sections of 147 'double first-class' Chinese universities and the top 150 US universities. Using AntConc for keyword, collocation and concordance analysis, this study identifies recurrent rhetorical strategies and sociocultural themes in institutional self-narratives. We outline a stratified systemic functional transitivity module to connect clause-level choices with identity work in mission texts. The findings reveal that while Chinese and American universities emphasise a global vision and research excellence, Chinese institutions place a stronger emphasis on national identity and cultural heritage. In contrast, American institutions focus more on liberal education and community engagement. These differences reflect distinct cultural, economic and political contexts in higher education, offering insights for cross-cultural academic collaborations. The study contributes to higher education research and practice by linking corpus patterns, clause-level realisations and organisational identity claims in mission discourse. This combined linguistic approach not only deepens theoretical understanding of identity construction in higher education but also informs more effective institutional communication.
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  Data: 2026
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Comparative Education
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      – SubjectFull: Discourse Analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Universities
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      – SubjectFull: Institutional Mission
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      – SubjectFull: Position Papers
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      – SubjectFull: Community Involvement
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      – SubjectFull: Cultural Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Organizational Communication
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      – SubjectFull: China
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      – SubjectFull: United States
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