The essence of university is treating every studentequally; The orientation of running an university should be seriouslyconsidered; The best care for students is to respect their choices.” Those arethoughts of Professor Huang Daren, a member of the National Advisory Council onEducation and the former president of Zhongshan University. Hosted by vice deanProfessor Bie Dunrong, Professor Huang prepared two thoughtful and evokingspeeches, themed in Some Thoughts of High Education Reform on August 1stand 2nd ,and these are also course of High Education Reform andDevelopment Speech. Professor Pan Maoyuan, students from 2015 and 2016educational doctor degree program, other on-campus doctoral and master’scandidates and some teachers from nearby universities attended.
Combining with his working experience and studies frombeing president and a member of National Advisory Council on Education,Professor Huang shared his theories and practical thinking from following 5aspects under the current background of high education development： theorientation of running an university, construction of subject and speciality,strengthening faculty construction, and talent development.
Professor Huang started the speech with talking aboutnew high education development situation we are facing. He believes that inorder to study high education development, we have to pay attention to thebackground: firstly, effects of administrative tour on university development;secondly, “The Pipes Suit” reform measures on education taken by thegovernment; thirdly, investment of high education and construction of highstandard universities; last but not least, demands of combination of industryand education.
“On the background of delegation of power tolower-level governments, orientation of running a university will drawincreasing attention”, Professor Huang claimed. Therefore this issue requires aserious consideration. When it becomes a tendency to enlarge the autonomy ofuniversity, orientation is not a slogan or word game, but the starting pointand guidelines for all work.
Basing on the experience of evaluation of “doublefirst-class” project, evaluation of university undergraduate teaching and otherconsulting work related to high education policy of Education Ministry, ProfessorHuang proposed his insight into subject and speciality construction. To be morespecific, “double first-class” project more focuses on school characteristics.Accordingly, it requires targeting universities to strength the idea of firstlevel discipline and its extension. As for universities in other various levels,the requirements of subject and speciality are different, but all need paygreat attention to combination of industry and education. Be problem-orientedand highlight characteristics.
Another emphasis is teachers who are the power ofeducation development. The professor insisted that it is significant to bringalong talents as well as domestically cultivate talents. Also, “introducetalents by talents”and platform building on campus are crucial to introduceleading talents. The essence of university management, including personnelmanagement, is differentiated management. Specifically, set rules formedium-level students and staff, and leave room for genius so that everyone cantap his or her full potential. Also, Professor Huang persevered in theprinciple of the Party being in charge of talents. In another word, the Partshould be in charge of coordination, service and details.
It seems to the professor that first-class teaching isthe intrinsic and basic requirements of “double first-class” project. He alsounderlined issues in micro-level such as educational reform and courseconstruction concerning talent development. Those depend on how the college,dean and secretary play their role. Only when the educational reform policyagreed by both university and college, can it be implemented completely. Nomatter what kind a university falls into, it is supposed to care for everysingle student, because they are 100% to their family. Moreover, he stressedthat course construction, both quality and quantity , is the core ofeducational reform.
Those speeches highly relate to focuses anddifficulties of high education reform and reality. They are set on a highvision and thought-provoking.Its pertinence, heuristic and guidance areappreciated by all. Professor Pan Maoyuan concluded Professor Huang’s speecheswith two phrases, “looking up to sky” and “down to earth”, and sang high praisefor the speeches, which demonstrated the direction for everyone’s study andresearch.
High Education Reform and Development Speech is a practical course set up specially for doctor students. All speakersare specialists from high education administrative departments, as well as formerand present leaders of universities. They all have rich administrativemanagement experience and obtain their insights of high education reform anddevelopment. Those speeches stay close to reality of university work and getwarm appreciation from all students.
（Hanli Bao）
