On October 31 and November 1, 2015, SUSTC successfully held the Autumn Seminar on Selection & Cultivation of Innovative Talents for 2015. Experts and principals from more than 50 famous high schools in nearly 20 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) gathered in SUSTC. Taking this opportunity, students in SUSTC News Agency interviewed some of these principals to listen to their impressions and opinions on SUSTC.
Wang Jianming, Principal of Hefei No. 8 Senior High School, Anhui Province
SUSTC provides wonderful platform and opportunities for the students
According to Principal Wang Jianming, he is one of the first people giving attention to SUSTC. He is right. As a matter of fact, of the dozens of students in the first batch admitted into SUSTC, there are two students coming from Hefei No. 8 Senior High School. In this year, they graduated from SUSTC with excellent academic performance. Yang Siyuan, as the alumni representative, made a speech at the Opening Day of SUSTC this year.
Principal Wang believed that SUSTC has adhered to the right path by engaging in reforms of talent selection and training. A major innovation made by SUSTC in talent selection is the independent test and recruitment of larger proportion of its freshmen. Principal Wang recognized this, saying the independent student recruitment is the genuine way out for universities recognized by the many experts, who believe it can better guide development of universities, improve education quality and promote high-school education.
Principal Wang also expressed his praise for the system of academic tutor in SUSTC. He believed the system is of significance for the students because the meaning of universities lies in learning knowledge and improving accomplishments. As a result, tutors in the university are not only those teaching knowledge, but also those enriching the students’ inner world. If they can reach the depth of the students’ heart, the tutors will give full intimation, care, accompaniment and guiding to the students, thus becoming the guide of their students’ thinking. Undoubtedly, this system is a good means that fully meets the purpose of universities to cultivate talents.
Principal Wang believes that SUSTC has made many good attempts for cultivating innovative talents. Thanks to the laboratories highly open to undergraduates and excellent professional tutors, the students can quickly get into the depth of disciplines and explore their cutting edge, which can rapidly improve the students’ innovation ability and comprehensive abilities. He also expressed recognition of SUSTC’s education philosophy featuring elite, international and research-oriented development.
“In these few years, I have always given attention to SUSTC. And this visit is giving me better knowledge about the University. I believe SUSTC is still maintaining its distinctive nature. SUSTC always works hard to run a university different from others in China. I admire SUSTC for the new model of cultivating talents. My impression on SUSTC will never change. ”
Principal Wang compared SUSTC to Shenzhen where it is. Both of them are young and energetic, innovative and pioneering. “Shenzhen has spent more than 30 years becoming one of the leading and representative cities in China. It is likely that, SUSTC will spend less than 3 decades becoming a university compatible with the status of Shenzhen, which can even represent the orientation of Chinese universities in the country, thus taking its own position among the first-class Chinese universities.”
He also expressed his great confidence in SUSTC, saying he is willing to continue to send the best graduates from Hefei No. 8 Senior High School to SUSTC.
“Fish swims in vast ocean and bird flies in the high sky. SUSTC provides the students with wonderful platform and opportunities. I hope students in Hefei No. 8 Senior High School can cherish the opportunity and keep working hard so as to make contributions to the society and bring honor to their school.”
Wan Limei, Principal of Changzhou No. 1 High School, Jiangsu Province
“SUSTC faculty and students are thinkers and pioneers of building first-class universities in the world”.
Though coming from Jiangsu Province, Principal Wan Limei has cast her eyes to SUSTC in Shenzhen when it was just established. Walking in the SUSTC campus, she felt touched by the development of SUSTC, “The government support to the University is just like the luxuriant banyan tree in the campus. However, SUSTC faculty and students are not people seeking cool environment under the tree. Instead, they are thinkers and pioneers to run a university integrated into the advanced international education. ”
As an educator with dreams, Principal Wan Limei loves education and adheres to the education philosophy of “ensuring the students get the holistic development”. In her education practice, she builds platform for the growth of students and expects the students are gaining broader space for development and improvement in their future campus life in universities.
Principal Wan said, though the Seminar was short, she was impressed by the fact that SUSTC faculty team has their own thinking, is bold enough to express themselves, and has abilities and spirit of innovation. She believed that, with concerted efforts of both faculty and students, SUSTC can definitely realize its dream for international and innovative education. She was full of confidence that SUSTC would become an international leading research-oriented university. She said, “It is really a pity that my daughter learns art. If she learns science, I will recommend SUSTC to her.”
She hoped SUSTC could share resources with high schools to secure common development by encouraging its professors to make reports on cutting-edge scientific development in high schools. While disseminating science and knowledge, it can also promote SUSTC. She also hoped SUSTC could focus on cultural accumulation while keeping exploring its own advantages and carrying them forward.
Principal Wan Limei voiced her expectations for SUSTC students, “Learn more knowledge, raise more questions and take part in more activities” so that innovation becomes the awareness in the depth of their minds. At the same time, for the students majoring in science or engineering, the rich cultural foundation is very important. “For students majoring in either discipline, they need to have the ability of reading comprehension, which requires the good cultural foundation. In addition to entering laboratories and solving problems, you also need to read more because it can decide the height of your spirit and the space of your future development. ”
Chen Weiguo, Vice Principal of Gao’an No. 2 High School
“This is really a good university.”
It was the first time for Vice Principal Chen Weiguo to visit the campus of SUSTC. Seeing the large farm of litchi trees and hearing the water flowing under the Yingxin Bridge, the Vice Principal said, “SUSTC is really a garden-like university lying in the trees.”
At a report meeting about SUSTC held in Nanchang No. 2 High School in Jiangxi Province in 2013, Vice Principal Chen Weiguo listened to a speech made by SUSTC Found President and Academician Zhu Qingshi, which helped him know about SUSTC for the first time. The meeting gave him a deep impression. After going back to his school, Vice Principal Chen told his students in Gao’an No. 2 High School about SUSTC and recommended it to them.
Seeing is believing. Vice Principal Chen finally made a visit in person to SUSTC to experience everything in the University. “Is SUSTC the same as what you imagined?” When asked this question, he just smiled and said, “A few years ago, the newly-established SUSTC was a focal topic in the media, which had different opinions about the new University. However, because Vice Principal Chen had heard a speech by President Zhu, he believed these media were biased and the education philosophy of SUSTC complies with history development. Now I am here in the campus and find the University has sufficient resources and wonderful environment for learning. I have more convinced that my original thinking was right.” Talking about the first-class professor resources, the original academy system and advanced and diverse research devices in SUSTC, Vice Principal Chen said excitedly that SUSTC is in the leading position among all the Chinese universities.
“In recent years, universities have been talking about education innovation. Nevertheless, it is a pity that “innovation” is just an empty slogan in some universities.” According to Vice Principal Chen, SUSTC, as an innovative university, has shown great wisdom and courage by adopting the 631 model to recruit freshmen when other universities still refer to the CEE scores. At the same time, as a Vice Principal of a high school, Mr. Chen fully understands the drawbacks of deciding the discipline even before entering the university. He said, “After the CEE, most of the students are puzzled about what kind of career they will take in the future. In such circumstance, it is difficult for them to make proper choices. I believe SUSTC has solved this problem by adopting the mechanism of deciding the major in Year 3 in the University. This reform is really beneficial for the students.”
When the interview came to the end, Vice Principal Chen told the journalist that, of the freshmen recruited in Jiangxi Province by SUSTC, those coming from Gao’an take the largest proportion. As the Vice Principal of Gao’an No. 2 High School, he showed great expectations for these students, “Hope these students can make full use of resources in SUSTC and gain better development and recognition from their peers. I also hope more excellent students from Gao’an No. 2 High School can receive higher education in SUSTC in the future so that they can become the genuine innovative talents”.
Guo Bingsheng, Principal of Hohhot No. 2 High School, Inner Mongolia
“In SUSTC, all students working hard can become successful.”
“SUSTC is highly positioned as a research-oriented and innovative university that cultivates entrepreneurs. I feel amazed that SUSTC has very high-quality faculty. Besides, its teacher-student ratio ranks in the leading position among all universities in China, which is really enviable. And SUSTC differs from most universities in China in its academy-system management. It is really desirable. I believe SUSTC is a university with very good academic environment, which is beneficial for cultivating talents.” In the beginning, Principal Guo Bingsheng used such terms as “enviable” and “desirable” when talking about his impression on SUSTC.
About how universities can cultivate innovative talents, Principal Guo said, “We all know the famous question raised by Mr. Qian Xuesen. How can China cultivate innovative talents? I believe this is just like the growth of plants, which need sunshine, water, soil and others to become tall trees. The students are just like saplings that need good campus environment, excellence guidance from tutors, wonderful academic influence, and platform and hardware facilities with great potential. Of course, the university also needs to cultivate innovative thinking and critical thinking to become people of tremendous promise. I believe that SUSTC, in many aspects, has met the needs of students. In such a university focusing on students, excellent talents will definitely be developed if only they work hard.”
When talking about the puzzle faced by parents when selecting universities for their children, Principal Guo said, “I would like to recommend SUSTC to them. Of course, everyone has his choice. But we need to have a long vision. I believe that, though SUSTC is a new university, it is innovative and potential. If only the students make painstaking efforts, they can reach a new height in life and create a brilliant future. The combination of excellent students, wonderful environment in SUSTC and outstanding faculty will definitely promote rapid development of SUSTC and encourage students to become the excellent talents for the nation.” Principal Guo said he has great expectations for SUSTC, hoping SUSTC students can cherish opportunities to study hard to create miracles and history of SUSTC.
Yang Dengwen, Dean of Studies, Chengdu Foreign Languages School, Sichuan Province
“I am deeply touched by SUSTC professors who care for their students so much.”
Dean Yang Dengwen has long been caring for the growth of SUSTC. “I fully agree with education philosophy of SUSTC and hope SUSTC will become more successful. University education will be reformed sooner or later. Evidently, SUSTC will be in the leading position. When we were in university, we only had textbooks and a few reference books, which fixed our thinking. However, in the SUSTC reform, the students are not limited to textbooks. They can easily have access to the cutting-edge information technologies in the world, thus having wider vision. Besides, the students don’t have to select their major in early stage. They can make wiser choice after they know what is their favorite major.”
Dean Yang prefers to the academy system in SUSTC. Even students from different majors can live in the same dormitory room or in one academy. The students get on well with each other. No matter what difficulties they meet in life or in education, they can find other students willing to help out. He also feels that professors in SUSTC are very passionate and kind. Dean Yang said sincerely, “Sometimes SUSTC professors care for students better than high-school teachers, which move us deeply. Because SUSTC has high teacher-student ratio, the teachers have more time to guide the students. And this is the advantage of SUSTC.”
This year, 4 excellent students from Chengdu Foreign Languages School are recruited in SUSTC, who come from the Science Experiment Class in the School. Dean Yang expressed his great expectations for them, “I want to say to them, learn innovative knowledge and create the innovative future. I hope that can make themselves innovative on this innovative soil in SUSTC while selecting the major worth further study. SUSTC is the pioneer of education reform in China. Whether it is praised or criticized, the reform in SUSTC will definitely go on. I believe it can develop in a rapid and healthy way. In the near future, SUSTC will definitely become the first-class university in the world.”
Zhang Xiaobao, Principal of Liuyang No. 3 High School in Hunan Province
“The academy system in SUSTC gives larger development space to students.”
When asked about his impression on SUSTC, Principal Zhang said he has seen a brand-new university in SUSTC. Why saying so? The university is new and its education philosophy is new. When visiting SUSTC, he also made a visit to the Academy as one of the features of the University. Principal Zhang gave high praise for the facilities and faculty quality of SUSTC. According to him, the many details and the academy provide a platform for the students to make exchanges, who have sufficient space and contents for their activities when they move between the dormitory and classrooms. And this is very important for the students to build up their personality and social connections.
Principal Zhang said, “Last year, 2 students and this year 3 students from Liuyang No. 3 High School are recruited by SUSTC”. He told the journalists that both his school and students recognize the performance of this new university. According to him, in particular for students who grow up in the rural areas and have narrow vision, it is good for them to study in SUSTC and possess the international vision.
Principal Zhang also shared some of his ideas. He said the new university is just like a young man who has to think clearly which direction to go in the future, or what kind of positioning he will take. He feels that SUSTC is positioned as a research-oriented university. At the same time, the University also considers the students’ employment, entrepreneurship and other issues concerning their future development. “The University should exceed itself and make itself mature, instead of randomly finding a target to transcend because it is not comparable. When the time comes, they can make the transcendence.”
Liu Jinsong, Vice Dean of Studies, Kunming No. 1 High School, Yunnan Province
“Hope SUSTC can recruit more students from Yunnan next year.”
Vice Dean Liu Jinsong from Yunnan, in a frank way, told his impression on SUSTC, saying, “It is a brand-new university full of dynamics. I feel in SUSTC there is great space for innovation and a large platform of students to show their talents and ability. The unique academy system ensures students from different fields and schools can communicate with their tutors so that they can exchange ideas. In this way, they can realize inter-disciplinary exchanges, thus greatly promoting innovative talents with holistic development. It has well-developed facilities such as laboratories, which are very important for students to improve their practical abilities.”
Dean Liu is touched by the academic and thinking environment in SUSTC. He said, “I hear from the students that there are no limits in SUSTC. All students can tell their ideas and proposals for the University, which will be accepted. And this is really good because it represents freedom of thinking. As far as academics are concerned, students in SUSTC are free to choose tutors if they show special interest in the program offered by the tutors. And innovative talents are developed only when the thinking and academics are free.”
According to Liu, the young SUSTC is still in the process of rapid development. The society gives it a lot of attention and has great expectations for it. Some parents still have doubts about SUSTC. As a result, SUSTC needs to show its accomplishments and demonstrate its education results because facts tell the truth.
As the teaching principal of an excellent key school, Dean Liu said, “We hope that SUSTC can recruit more students in Yunnan so as to provide more opportunities for our excellent students, who will have life of greater success and who will become our pride.”
(Edited and composed by Wei Xin, Liu Lingjie, Wu Zhixing and Li Chen from SUSTC News Agency)
