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Forum of Chinese Dream

 Forum of “Chinese Dream” for 30 years graduation anniversary of college cohorts 77 and 78

On June the 30th, Retrospect and Prospect of "Chinese Dream": 30 Years Graduation Anniversary of College Cohorts 77 and 78, which is held by Western Returned Chinese Scholars Association, Center for China and Globalization, 20th Century Chinese Culture Research Center of Peking University, Media Culture and Social Development Advanced Research Institute of Shanghai Jiaotong University, observes a grand launch. Academic elites from college cohorts 1977 and 1978 and hundreds of attendants gather in the hall to reflect on past ages, discuss "Chinese dream", envisage future development and discuss the sub-forums for topics of "Transition, upgrade and development of China's education in a new era", "Cultural development and prosperity and the rise of a big nation", "China walks to the world and international acknowledgement", "National empowerment through talent and Chinese dream". At last the forum concludes in form of "30 years ahead" round-table forum.
 

Sub-Forum One: Transition, upgrade and development of China’s education in a new era


Sub-Forum Two: Cultural development and prosperity and the rise of a big nation


Sub-Forum Three: China walks to the world and international acknowledgement


Sub-Forum Four: National empowerment through talent and Chinese dream


Round Table Forum: “Remaking Greatness in the 30 years ahead”

77 and 78 cohorts is a unique group for a generation's responsibility

Dr Wang Huiyao, who is the deputy director of Western Returned Scholars Association, Director General of Center for China and Globalization and Forum Chairman hosts the opening ceremony of the forum. Han Qide, Vice chairman of National People’s Congress and Director General of Western Returned Scholars Association, Hao Ping, Deputy Minister of Education, and Zhang Jie, President of Shanghai Jiangtong University deliver speeches to the forum.

Director General Han Qide answers why so many talented individuals come from 77 and 78 cohorts: “Firstly, 77 and 78 cohorts are first two college cohorts after 12 years of no enrollments during Cultural Revolution. The best were exceptionally capable to be selected for forming only one or two cohorts from a great many of candidates. Besides, the impact of the age of passion on every one of us was so deep. I believe the most important reason was that everyone had a dream, no matter how obscure it was. Our dreams were mostly similar in terms of social background. Dreams are all obscure, otherwise it can’t be called dream. However dreams represent hopes. If every one of us has dreams alike, this is cohesion.” Director Han adds, “After 50 or 100 years, our decedents will look back to today, reflect on what their ancestors were learning, thinking and doing. It would be a very meaning event to think about the topic of “Chinese dream” that we are discussing today.”

Deputy Minister Hao Ping, who is also a graduate of cohort 78, points out in his speech that college cohorts 77 and 78 have grown to be the central force of many professions and industries. The growth of this generation was benefited from the splendid epoch of China’s reform and opening-up, from the social context of resumption of respect for knowledge and talents, from the implement of the Strategy of Vitalizing China through Science and Education as well as the Strategy of Vitalizing China through Human Resource Management.

Wang Huiyao of Cohort 77 says that Cohort 77 and 78 is a unique group for they are strongly mindful of potential hardship and critical spirit. They are a generation of thinking and exploration, a generation of reform and opening-up, and even more a generation of self-reflection and constant adventuring. “Our generation needs comprehensive reflection, needs further discussion on where the road of future leads. Remembrance and reflection are important reasons why we initiate this forum.”

President Zhang Jie reviews the past: “There were huge age gaps among us college students then. It is ubiquitous to have classmates of brothers, fathers and sons. We came from every part of the country. I remember very clearly that the libraries were always packed, dormitories were always lighted at night, as our aspiration to knowledge was reinvigorated after a decade’s dormancy.” Guests of cohorts 77 and 78 reflect together on the 30 years of reform and opening up that accompany their growth and development, share their life experience and thoughts, review the current social development, reflect on themselves and dreams. Discussion and Interaction were very warm in the form.
 

Han Qide, Vice chairman of National People’s Congress and Director General of Western Returned Scholars Association


Hao Ping, Deputy Director of Western Returned Scholars Association; Deputy Minister of Education


Zhang Jie, President of Shanghai Jiangtong University, Alternative Member of the Central Committee of CCP


Wang Huiyao, Deputy director of Western Returned Scholars Association, Director General of Center for China and Globalization


 

Transition, Upgrade and Education Development in the New Era

Admission and Graduation of cohorts 77 and 78 is an important breakthrough and phenomenon of Chinese higher education. Until now, higher education has experienced deep reform. How to develop higher education institutions? What are the drawbacks of talent cultivation model? University presidents who attend this forum were all from cohorts 77 and 78, with their opinions:

Tong Shijun, Party Secretary of East China Normal University believes that Nowadays Chinese Universities should cultivate students who are able to be comfortable with “rational characteristics embedded in Chinese ethnics”. This rational characteristic concerns not only the realization of higher level internationalization of science and technology, but also the rationality of dealing with others and colleagues.

According to Jiang Shuzhuo, Party Secretary of Ji’nan University, the asset of cohorts 77 and 78 lies in their experiences. Diverse experiences and numerous social hardships sharpened their perseverance. “Why can’t students nowadays have a deep insight into issues? I think this is due to the lack of experiences.” He points out that currently students of humanities and social sciences in particular lack experiences. An important part of talent cultivation in contemporary higher education is training of capabilities. From this perspective, there is a need for reform in pedagogy.

Chen Shusheng, Vice President of Sun Yet-sun University thinks that currently higher education needs a transition of pedagogic methods from a lack of rigorous academic training. Postgraduate mentors have oversized students, and many mentors in polytechnic majors take graduate students as cheap labor. More than half of their research papers are written by students. Chen Shusheng suggests that the current system of master and doctoral education has big practical problem. The quality of master and PHD training in mainland China is lower than that in the West and even Hong Kong and Taiwan. Therefore, he advocates establishing a new model of mentor-student relationship rather than a “boss-employee” relationship.

Guan Aihe, the Party Secretary of Henan University raises that educational equality is an important component of current educational reform. Inequality of educational resources exists not only in high school and primary school, but also in universities. At present there are still 13 provinces which do not have a university affiliated directly to Educational Ministry or financial support from central government. During the 12th Five-Year Plan, regional economic development should become the fundamental development approach, while educational inequality and imbalance should be corrected.

How to realize “Chinese Dream”?

Guests boldly envisage and make suggestions on how to walk through the next 30 years. Each of them has a vision of “Chinese dream”.

Professor Zhu Suli from Law School of Peking University thinks this generation at their 50s is not old and should not write blogs or become professors too early. The most important thing for cohorts 77 and 78 is to maintain the desire for knowledge when entering the university, to maintain the passion for building China, to maintain an eagerness of learning, and to maintain the regretless pursue for youth and career.

Writer Liu Zhenyun from cohort 77 makes his speech in the form of novel, and wins waves of applause. Liu Zhenyun distinguishes four categories of intelligentsia from cohorts 77 and 78, “dedicated hard workers, hardheaded workaholics, those who speak for the people, and those who take risks to reform the system. However scoundrels are among them”; “In last thirty years, Chinese society has achieved huge progress. Cohorts 77 and 78 have made an enormous impact on its transition and its sustainability.”

Wang Huiyao indicates that we are currently casting a “Chinese dream”, which is actually a dream of empowering China by talented personnel. If “Chinese dream” fails to incorporate an emphasis on “talent” and “talent” cultivation, there is no point to start talking about a “Chinese dream”.

Xu Xiaoping, the founder of New Oriental School points out those talented personnel needs to have “an ocean-like open mind”. A wide perspective and appropriate talent management mechanism are extremely important. He points out that envisioning the thirty years ahead is as important as reflecting on the past thirty years.

Message to a great future

Discussion topics of guests range from education reform and talent cultivation to cultural prosperity and comprehensive development, to nation-empowering talent strategy and the realization of Chinese dream. The atmosphere is very warm. Alumni from cohorts 77 and 78 promise to burden the historical mission, to train more talented successors, as well as to continue achievement in the future.

Ning Bin, the President of Beijing Jiaotong University, believes that we are currently experiencing a critical moment at the development of Chinese ethnicity. Cohorts 77 and 78 are a fortunate generation, a generation with heavy responsibility and a generation destined with transition. They have responsibility for China’s future direction.

Wang Zhenyao, Head of One Foundation Philanthropic Research Institute of Beijing Normal University suggests cohorts of 77 and 78 “never underestimate the capability of “post-80s” (those who were born in or after 1980). He also gives advice to “post-80s” attendants: avoid your thought being constrained by “standard answers”.

Chen Pingyuan, Head of Department of Chinese of Peking University comments: “We have submitted one exam paper only, which is not very satisfactory. I hope all of you study the phenomenon of cohorts of 77 and 78 as a research project on a history of academics, a history of thoughts and a history of politics. You are attached to the thirty years of China’s reform and opening up, your spiritual status is closely related to China. Therefore we discuss and criticize these people and their life history as an issue of a history of academic or a history of thoughts, just like the generation of May Fourth movement. Constant critique, constant dialogue and constant reflection are the momentum for us, and the responsibility of our successors.
 
Many guests from cohorts of 77 and 78 attend forum and delivere speeches.