Tokyo University has traditionally been aimed at cultivating high-level civil officials and is closely tied to the government, but Kyoto University is different. Owing to their competitive relationship, it has often played a critical role, contending with the government and opposing authority.
已修完京大法學部博士課程的陳才昆指出，日本學術界向有「西高東低」的說法，因為傳統上東大以培養高級文官人才為目的，與政府的關係相當密切；京大則不然，由於它與東大先天的競爭態勢，因此它扮演的通常較具批判色彩，有些抗衡政府、反對權威的角色。