Global /Western knowledge, manifested as disciplines of natural and social sciences that were first established in European university, have dominated modern higher education globally as the exclusive authority of human knowledge. The recent decades of accelerated globalization has further enhanced the domination of Western mode of higher learning. To counter-balance the homogenous codes and discourses of global knowledge, the current study argues for a fundamental shift in knowledge-making for a greater space for the local. Based on the center-periphery theory and “glonacal agency heuristic”, this study sought to understand Chinese academics’ views regarding globalization and localization through in-depth interviews. The results indicate a shortage of critical voices to challenge the status quo in academia, with the conclusion on little signs of emerging academic pluralism built on a synergy of indigenous and Western academic traditions.