This book explores the role of universities in responding to ongoing changes in China, and in shaping the relations between the university and the state during periods of social change. Tsinghua University is selected as a case study to inform this important issue. By tracing the changes and continuities Tsinghua has experienced since 1911, this book gives an in-depth analysis of how the university strives to maintain autonomy while taking a leading role in implementing China’s policy of higher education. By drawing on a vast literature of higher education theories, the book offers original insights into the university-state relationship and provides a new understanding on the complexities China faces in the era when the country is becoming a key global actor.