What is the essence of university?

There are different views on the nature of universities. The following is the opinion of Gu Mingyuan, Dean of School of Education and Management of Beijing Normal University and Dean of Graduate School of Beijing Normal University.

Gu Mingyuan once said that the essence of a university is seeking truth and educating people. Seeking truth is to study academics and pursue truth; Educating people is to cultivate truly talented and knowledgeable people. From the day she was born, the university is a place where a group of scholars freely study knowledge and cultivate talents in the process of studying knowledge. At first, it was mainly to train liberal arts clergy, legal personnel and doctors. After hundreds of years of changes, the functions of universities have undergone great changes, especially after the industrial revolution. The combination of technology and production forced universities to step out of the ivory tower and serve the society as one of the important functions of universities. On the one hand, large-scale industrial production requires universities to carry out knowledge innovation and train scientific and technological talents for them; On the other hand, universities need to obtain funds from enterprises in order to update equipment and hire high-level teachers, so as to further develop their schools. But the essence of the university has not changed. Serving the society also needs to be based on knowledge innovation and talent training. How can we serve the development of society without innovative knowledge? Without the cultivation of talents, who will create wealth for economic development? Therefore, the essence of the university is to seek truth and educate people. Universities are different from other research institutions. The task of research institutions is simply to study knowledge. Although young people who participate in the research will grow with the accumulation of experience, the cultivation of talents is not the main task of research institutions. Universities should not only conduct academic research, but also cultivate talents. The two are combined into one. Only by carrying out academic research and creating new knowledge and new scholarship can we cultivate high-quality talents.

If universities refer to higher education in general, in the past century, universities have developed from elite education to mass education, that is, a few people can receive higher education, and a large number of people have the opportunity to receive higher education. That is, Martin, who we often quote? Martin Trow's Law: The gross income rate of higher education exceeds 15% in the popularization stage and 50% in the popularization stage. Then, after higher education entered the stage of popular education, has the nature of universities changed? In my opinion, the hierarchical structure of higher education has changed, but the essence of universities has not changed. There are different levels of colleges and universities in the stage of popular education, including a number of research universities, a large number of colleges and universities with undergraduate teaching as the mainstay, and a number of colleges and universities that cultivate applied talents. If they are all called universities according to China's appellation, their functions will be adjusted, but the essence of seeking truth and educating people has not changed. Even higher vocational colleges that train applied technical talents do not take academic research as their main task, but still pursue truth, knowledge innovation and technological innovation. Especially in today's era when science and technology are changing with each passing day, how can we cultivate talents needed by the times without innovation?

University culture should be a noble culture.

University culture is built around the essence of university. A university should be a culture full of vitality, youth and strong academic atmosphere, and an elegant culture, which integrates height, depth, richness and freshness. Culture can be divided into elegant culture and vulgar culture. University is the temple of learning, the place where intellectuals gather, and the highest institution of learning in society. Universities should have elegant culture, cultivate elegant talents and lead the social trend.

University culture is embodied in the style of study, which is related to the quality of the school. The problem of study style is a problem of running a school, a problem of teachers and students' thinking mode and a problem of working attitude. The construction of university study style should be academic-centered, and should have the spirit of pursuing truth, independent thinking, critical innovation, dedication and love for students, rigorous scholarship and teamwork. Teachers regard learning as their life of pursuing truth; In order to discover and cultivate talents, we love life like children and tirelessly teach others. In order to pursue the truth, students should aim high and pursue diligently, and teachers should love the truth more. Only in this way can shine on you be better than blue. School management should be academic-centered, fully respect professors' learning rights, serve teaching and scientific research, and serve teachers and students. School administrators and teachers, teachers and teachers, teachers and students form a harmonious and enterprising body.