The establishment of China's modern academic system was shaped by the interaction of internal (traditional) elements and external (Western) forces. Therefore, China and Western countries display many similarities in their academic systems. As with its Western counterpart, China's modern academic system is characterized by disciplined knowledge, theories, and research methods. However, there are also significant differences between the modern Chinese and Western academic systems. China's academic system has made significant progress in modernization, yet is also distorted in this process. This paper traces the historical evolution of the modern Chinese academic system and the key thoughts of contemporary Chinese scholars to reevaluate China's academic modernization experience.