On April 14th, 2018, Professor Zheng Qiang, Zhejiang University Council Chairperson gave an exciting lecture themed “The Chinese Dream and The Dream Of Chinese University Students: Educational And Moral Perspectives.” University Council Vice Chairperson Li Fengliang hosted the lecture.

Professor Zheng is the winner of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and the distinguished professor for Chang Jiang Scholars Program. He has given over 200 lectures across 20 provinces and cities of China in ten years, which had extensive social influence. 

He started the lecture by introducing the definition of “university.” He then described the relatively backward educational situation in Central and Western China and emphasized the significance of improving and reforming the current arrangements on a national scale.

In the meantime, he offered quite a few insightful cultural suggestions for Chinese parents and educators. “Making children ‘win at life’s starting point’ and increasing their schoolwork at the pre-school level is not beneficial for their physical and mental development. Children need to have wild dreams and positive impulses for self-exploration and self-development, which helps them find their true selves and natural passions. Forcing them to memorize a standard set of knowledge and putting them into a box of social norms at such a young age is actually destroying their real motivations to search for knowledge in the future.”

Professor Zheng’s suggestions boil down to shaping a positive spirit for the young. By allowing children to express themselves and highlight their passion for what they believe in, educators should strive to foster new positive virtues among children, such as being determined, hardworking, adventurous and valuing collectivism, critical thinking, and warrior spirit. With these virtues, the youth of today can participate in the continuous development of socialism with Chinese characteristics with a distinctive and powerful Chinese core value in mind.

The lecture is very well received, attracting much applause throughout the two-and-a-half-hour speech and the following Q&A session.