This matter puzzles my mind: how can a comprehensive university involved in the 985 project, like Wuhan University, develop better and faster? And here I’d like to talk a bit from my own perspective, which comes from my 50-year teaching experience and the long-term communication with universities at home and abroad.
1. What is the purpose of education for Wuhan University?
WHU’s target is supposed to be training talents as well as promoting scientific research and providing a social service towards satisfying the major needs of our country, the future prospect for development and the practical demands of our society.
Private universities can regard elite education as their purpose, aiming at making their students Nobel Prize Winners. But WHU is supported by our national authorities and has to be responsible for the country itself. The advanced teaching equipment and excellent research condition are directly invested by our country, so WHU must return the favor and serve the people from the entire country. Scientific research, talent cultivation and social service are equally important in the process of WHU’s development.
2. What is the standard adopted to evaluate a university?
Corresponding with WHU’s educational purpose, the standard adopted to evaluate WHU also should be comprehensive rather than taking into account a single aspect such as the ESI rank.
SCI is an index, but not the only one. There are two kinds of scientific research. One is to explore the unknown world and the other is to satisfy the needs of our country. So sometimes it’s difficult to publish papers if we are engaged in the second kind of research. But we can’t ignore one’s contribution based solely on the lack of papers.
As for ESI, we should look at it dialectically. Only about 20 subjects are on the list to be evaluated. But there are more than 100 first-level subjects in China. All the subjects are developed in WHU and we can’t just evaluate WHU by ESI, which is obviously one-sided.
In my opinion, those subjects listed in ESI should be undoubtedly given priority. Meanwhile, the technological science subjects targeted for the national engineering projects, especially those for which WHU is distinguished such as surveying, mapping and remote sensing, should also be developed and supported.
With the 120-year developing history, WHU has formed its own features, an aspect which is particularly precious. Under the restricted investments provided by our country, only by making full use of its own features and advantages will WHU obtain greater progress.
3. What is the learning style of WHU?
Students learn how to behave, how to study, how to innovate, which is a process of acquiring a true “know how” rather than a process of simply registering what they are taught by their teachers. A good university imparts the methods to students and allows them to have different characters, thus promoting the social progress.
A university should not only cultivate scientists, but also create the future entrepreneurs. Lei Jun, who created MIUI and improved the level of Chinese electronic products, makes WHU proud. WHU provides the environment in which students can begin independent innovation. The teachers encourage students to doubt what is said in the books, what is foreign and what is confirmed by the scientific authorities. That’s the key to making WHU better.
The spirit of dialectic, difference and argumentation is a tradition at WHU. We work on the national major projects and launch high resolution satellites. The process innovation is encouraged, but finally it is the team work that leads to success. Seeking differences and reaching for an agreement are both the impetus of discipline development as well as the factor which enables WHU to step forward constantly.
4. What is the focus of administration system reform?
First, administrative service is important. We should establish a concept that administration provides conditions for teaching and research. These, together with a great care towards the needs of our teachers and students, are gives an advantage that enables WHU to get better.
Second, WHU should keep an appropriate scale in regards to its number of faculties. As far as I am concerned, about 20 colleges and about 2000 students in each college is the best structure. When we restructure our current colleges, we should take into consideration the practical aspects rather than simply yet roughly incorporate according to subjects. The leading body is also a significant factor in college administration. WHU should select talents with high academic level, rich teaching experience and conspicuous leadership from universities at home and abroad or from the existing faculties of WHU.
Third, we should work out an appropriate mechanism to attract talents. The University needs to attract talents from all over the world. It’s impossible to enlarge WHU’s teaching body without limitation, so we can learn from the experience of the American universities. We can attract professors through scientific research funds and social support. This was already the case with the collaborative innovation centers established in 2011. In this manner, WHU can strengthen its research power, remaining flexible.
At last, I hope that WHU can become a world first-class university with Chinese characteristics and achieve the “WHU’s dream” and the “Chinese dream” both aspirations held high by faculties and students of WHU.
(Rewritten by Aoqi Li, edited by Diana & Sijia Hu)
