Vice Minister of Education Zhang Xinsheng Visits SIS
June 1st,2007,SIS
On the afternoon of May 29th, Zhang Xinsheng, Vice Minister of Education, accompanied by Lai Maode, Vice President
of ZJU, paid a visit to
and administration of SIS. Other members of the party committee, the secretary of the League Committee, and Xie Shi’e,
Mr. Zhang’s teacher in university were also present at the talk. Mr. Zhang graduated from the Foreign Language
Department of the former
use of the intervals during the 11th conference of the headmasters of APRU to go back to ZJU, and visit the leaders of
SIS and his former teachers at university. The leaders of the Party Committee and administration of SIS
participated in the discussion.
Prof. Fan Jieping, Acting Dean of SIS, introduced the basic conditions and recent development of SIS to Mr. Zhang,
especially the reform of training mode, and the development in teaching, research and local service of SIS. Vice-President
Lai Maode introduced the progress and breakthroughs in the construction of subjects of SIS, as well as the creative
achievements in the adjustment of undergraduate education of ZJU. Mr. Zhang listened to the report carefully and
acquainted himself with the teamwork of teachers, the introduction of talents from other universities, the training
mode of “a foreign language + X”, the training mode of CKC College of ZJU, and the graduates’ employment
situation in detail.
During the discussion, Mr. Zhang recalled the days when he was studying in
profound emotions. He said that the academic atmosphere of
the facilities were also fine. Besides, the teachers were all knowledgeable, highly qualified, and very responsible to their
students. It is his English proficiency that laid a firm foundation for his further study and work in Harvard and other places.
He felt very gratitude that he had the experience of studying in ZJU and gained a lot of things.
Later, Mr. Zhang gave a brief analysis of the current situation of higher education around the world, and made a speech on
the training mode of talents of Chinese universities and the training of foreign language talents. He held the opinion that it is
very important to think about the aim of undergraduate education in university. The modern notion of university originated
in European, especially the ideology of education of Humboldt in
without considering their own situations. While, some top universities in
used it for a reference and took the essence of modern university into their own, thus they became world-famous universities.
So it is necessary for the universities in
world. And one of the basic skills the university students should master is the capacity of a foreign language, which
and the reform of the ideology of education for foreign language talents in university, Mr. Zhang brought forward a series of
suggestions.
First, the level of high school graduates’ foreign language proficiency is getting higher and higher every year, which
lays out a higher requirement for the foreign language programs in university. Second, great changes have taken place in our
nation, for instance, the GDP Per Capita of Zhejiang Province has already reached $ 5,000~6,000. The interests of
are not only domestic, but worldwide. Therefore, the higher education of
and especially face the world. We must take into consideration the conditions both at home and oversea as a whole. From
the present point of view, Deng Xiaoping really had foresight to come up with the “Three Faces”. To face the world does not
only mean to face the European countries, but also to take responsibilities in the world society. To truly face the world means
also to face Africa, Latin America, and
he students to find a satisfactory job is extremely severe. Therefore, no matter how high the quality of the high school graduates
is, as long as the employment condition is poor, the admission of students is bound to face difficulty. So the direction of training
programs, the mode of training programs, and the reform of the ideology of education for foreign language talents in
university need to have a change, but during the transformation, there is also something that cannot be changed ------ the basic
ability and basic skills. We should face the changes with stability and have intersections in the changing.
Mr. Zhang mentioned that the first responsibility of university undergraduate education is to train people who can take
on social responsibilities, that is to develop citizens’ qualities, to develop citizens to the extent of world citizens.
The second responsibility is to provide students with the ability to analyze and solve problems, to train students with both
arts and science, and develop their consciousness of “self development” on the basis of Confucius’s traditional education
ideology of “learn extensively, inquire thoroughly, ponder prudently, discriminate clearly, and practice devotedly”.
The third responsibility is to train students’ ability of international association, ability of communication, ability
of giving a speech, ability of negotiation, and ability of critical thinking. Mr. Zhang concluded those abilities to five C’s ----
contribution, creative, critical thinking, communication skills and cognition --------- that are all the necessary qualifications of
being a talent with all-round abilities.
we must conform to the rule of “solid foundation, wide application”, because only on the basis of solid foreign language
knowledge and practical ability can we dig into the issue of cross-subject programs. Form the perspective of his
experience as being a leader in United Nations Education, Scientific and cultural Organization, Mr. Zhang requested that
the leaders of SIS make full use of the advantages of ZJU as a comprehensive university, and ponder on the relationship between
basic skills and cross- subject programs, and on this basis to think about how to develop future leaders with an international
horizon.
