After the Lugouqiao Incident in 1937, in order to preserve the national cultural heritage and cultivate talents urgently needed by the country, the Southwest Associated University composed of Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai was established.
At the time of the national crisis, China’s “education essence” gathered here after twists and turns, forming a gathering of elites, and finally blooming and bearing fruit here, and sowing the seeds. The talents cultivated have been used in all historical periods of the revolutionary construction and reform. Important role".
Inspire patriotism
Water hits the stone to sound, and when people are excited, they will be great.
During the Anti-Japanese War, the UN General Assembly will inspire patriotism and serve the country firmly throughout the entire process of campus culture construction.
On the one hand, he wrote books and said, to stimulate the anti-combat spirit.
In the anti-Japanese defense stage, due to the weak resistance of the National Government, national nihilism and cultural nihilism have spread.
In response to these negative cultural phenomena, the teachers of the General Assembly launched a vigorous counterattack.
For example, teachers of the Department of History compiled textbooks, and successively published classic historical works such as "Guidelines for National History", "Outline of Chinese History", "A Brief Discussion on the Origin of the System of Sui and Tang Dynasties", and "An Inquiry into Qing History".
Among them, Qian Mu started writing the "Outline of National History" in the second half of 1938.
At this time, it is a critical moment when domestic capitulationism is rampant.
For this reason, he turned to concentrate on the writing of general history.
In the introduction, Qian Mu clearly criticized national nihilism, and sincerely asked the people to establish basic national self-confidence and dignity, and maintain a basic respect for their own culture and history.
Historian Mou Runsun said when commenting on the "Guidelines for National History": "Reading Qian's book should make the coward be determined, the sick man will be energetic, and the blood will boil.
The philosopher He Lin launched a counterattack against cultural nihilism.
He believes that the national crisis in modern China is actually a cultural crisis.
Therefore, it is our responsibility to revive the national culture.
From 1940 to 1941, He Lin successively published "A New Review of the Five Ethics" and "A New Development of Confucianism". The previous article began to put forward the basic ideas of "New Xinxue", and the later article concentratedly reflected the "New Confucianism" thought .
Although He Lin’s philosophical system is based on idealism, he advocates a re-understanding of Chinese traditional culture, Confucianized Western culture, and the integration of Chinese and Western cultures, which counteracts the fallacy of cultural nihilism.
On the other hand, the school song and motto were formulated to stimulate the enthusiasm for the War of Resistance.
Soon after the opening of the UNU, a school song and school motto compilation committee including Feng Youlan, Zhu Ziqing, Wen Yiduo and others was established.
On the basis of extensive solicitation of opinions from all parties, Luo Yong, Feng Youlan wrote the lyrics, and Zhang Qingchang composed the song "Man Jiang Hong" was determined as the school song.
The school song is divided into two stages. The upper part states the origin of the UN General Assembly and the difficulties of the country. The word cloud "extremely transplants the dry matter, and the blood of Li Yuan is spread all over Kyushu"; The belief that the Anti-Japanese War will win, the words cloud "being shameful forever, will eventually become snow", "to be driven out of the enemies, to restore the capital, to return the Yanjie."
Regardless of the vigorous and exciting tunes of this school song, the literal meaning alone has the profound power to inspire people.
The school motto originally submitted by the UN General Assembly is "Strong and Practical", which is related to the fact that the professors of the three universities have never asked about politics.
Putting this expression in the ordinary, naturally conforms to the university's value pursuit in academic research and student training.
But as a university in exile, the UN General Assembly is not only the inheritor of book knowledge, but also a benchmark for national moral and spiritual values.
Therefore, on November 26, 1938, the 95th Standing Committee of the United Nations General Assembly decided: "Fortitude and determination" as the school motto.
Among them, "Fortitude" is used to inherit the purpose of the education of the three schools, and "Jianzhuo" represents the expectations of the nation and the country for the cultivation of students' morals and values, reflecting the distinctive characteristics of the times.
Serving the country
For the teachers and students of Southwest Associated University, in the most difficult environment of the War of Resistance against Japan, it takes great courage and sacrifice to turn a patriotism into an action to serve the country.
Going south to find a job and study is itself full of twists and turns.
Due to the threat of war, the temporary university was forced to move westward soon after its opening in Changsha.
Eleven teachers led more than 250 students into Yunnan on foot, spanning the three provinces of Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan, totaling 3,500 li, and it took 68 days to reach the destination.
Known as a "crazy man", Liu Wendian, after getting rid of the Japanese entanglement, took a boat from Tianjin to Hong Kong and Vietnam, and it took more than two months to enter Yunnan.
When I arrived in Mengzi on foot, I was already ragged and thin.
During the war years, studying and earning a living were all difficult.
The survey at that time showed that if the salary of university professors was 350 yuan in 1937, the actual purchasing power in 1943 was only about 8 yuan.
The memory of Mrs. Mei Yiqi also confirmed this point-the professor's monthly salary could last three weeks from 1936 to 1939, and later it could only be used for half a month.
When Zhu Ziqing was most embarrassed, he wore a felt cloak worn by horse-driving talents. It was clothing during the day and bedding at night.
Hua Luogeng and Wen Yiduo have a total of 14 people, and they lived together for a while.
There is a poem as proof: "The two houses are divided into two houses, and the two families are up and down; Budong archaeology and Buxi count, and the majors are different."
While experiencing the hardships of life, the threat of war has not been far from the UN General Assembly.
On October 13, 1940 and August 14, 1941, the UN General Assembly was hit hard by Japanese airstrikes. School buildings and various materials were destroyed, and some teachers and students were unfortunately killed.
As the saying goes, it is hard to rejuvenate a nation through hardship.
During the bombing by the Japanese army, the masters of the United States radiated an unprecedented passion for patriotism.
Zhu Ziqing said: "The bombing of enemy planes is terrible and hateful; but it is not unwelcome. The bombing made every Chinese person know our enemy from wherever he is. This is the first time. Every Chinese feels that he has a nation and a country.” Mei Yiqi pointed out in his letter to alumni that the material loss is limited, the spirit is infinitely strengthened, and the grievances are urgent. We should work hard to destroy them. This is fierce.
Facts have proved that in the hardships and hardships of the Anti-Japanese War and the bombing by the aggressors, the Masters of the United Nations did more and more courageously and worked hard to practice patriotism.
First, the welfare benefits are meager and the teacher lineup is strong.
The Southwest Associated University has gathered the elites of the Chinese academic circles in a short period of time. It can be described as a gathering of masters and famous artists.
History includes Chen Yinke, Wu Mi, Wu Han, etc., philosophy includes Jin Yuelin, Feng Youlan, He Lin, etc., mathematics includes Chen Xingshen, Hua Luogeng, etc., and physics includes Zhou Peiyuan and Wu Dayou.
According to statistics, more than 290 professors and 48 associate professors have successively taught at the UN General Assembly. Many of them have been transferred back from the relatively safe United States.
Such a powerful and luxurious lineup of professors is also rare in the world.
Second, the scientific research conditions are simple and the output is fruitful.
As the historian and educator Zheng Tianting said: "During the War of Resistance, a patriotic intellectual cannot go to the front line or take part in the battle. He can only actively engage in scientific research, adhere to the spirit of rigorous creativity, and be tireless in self-learning in order to contribute to The motherland." From the actual situation, the representative and famous works of many teachers of the UN General Assembly were produced during this period.
For example, Zhu Ziqing has independently completed seven books such as "Poetry Yan Zhi Bian" in the eight years of the UN General Assembly; Chen Yinque wrote "Drafts on Political History of the Tang Dynasty" "Drafts on the Origin of Sui and Tang System"; Jin Yuelin published "On Dao", Completed the 100,000-character manuscript of "Theory of Knowledge"; Feng Youlan launched the "Three Books of Zhenyuan", namely "Xin Shi Xun", "Xin Li" and "Xin Shi Lun".
Thirdly, the studying environment is difficult and hardworking.
As the war blocked traffic, the life of the UNU students was even more difficult. "The daily food cost is only a dime." Two meals a day with flatbread brown rice to satisfy their hunger.
In order to survive, from tutoring to newsboys, and even night shifts, the UNU students tried one by one.
The persecution of the war and the difficulty of making a living also helped the Union University students to grow up quickly.
They cherish the hard-won learning opportunities even more. The teahouse near the school, the Yunda Library and the mountains and valleys behind have become places of learning.
After the school building was bombed, reading books under an umbrella in the library became a special scene of the UN General Assembly.
Seek the happiness of the people
When the temporary university was moved from Changsha to Kunming, some teachers and students had crossed three provinces on foot, witnessing the cruel face of the bottom society, and worried about the fate of the country and the nation.
From Hunan to Guizhou, it’s as if entering another country. Ten-year-old children are already addicted to opium... The United Nations University student Xiang Changqing wrote in his "Journey Across Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan": "I don’t believe this is all because Their own sins!"
After witnessing people's poverty, cultural backwardness, and the darkness of government rule, Wen Yiduo's temperament changed drastically when he was painting or singing on the way.
He did not conceal his feelings of worrying about the country and the people in front of the students.
When telling Du Fu's "Stone Trench Officials", I remembered a soldier who was abandoned and committed suicide, Wen Yiduo wept bitterly, and felt that Chinese society has been deteriorating after a thousand years.
He also often recites the famous line in "Li Sao": "Long too much breath to cover up one's tears, mourning how difficult people's livelihood is!"
The experience of moving westward gave students a rare education and also gave teachers a great inspiration.
After staying in Yunnan, professors often take the lead in organizing various investigation activities.
Among them, the chemist Zeng Zhaolan led an inspection team to conduct field trips to Xikang’s products and production; meteorology professor Zhang Yintang led students to investigate the western Yunnan region and collected a large amount of frontier information; and Luo Changpei, the head of the Chinese Department, led the students in depth many times Investigate the areas inhabited by ethnic minorities in Yunnan.
This kind of investigation activities to deeply understand the national conditions and people's conditions further stimulated the historical mission and sense of responsibility of teachers and students.
In addition to studying and studying, they actively think about China's future and explore this in many ways.
Long before the Southern Anhui Incident, the wall newspapers and publications of the United Nations General Assembly, such as "The Voice of the Group", "Holly", and "Hot Wind", had sharply criticized the corruption of the national government.
In 1942, a huge "Inverted Hole (Kong Xiangxi) Movement" was launched.
In 1944, the slogan "Strive for Democracy and Overthrow the Dictatorship" was first shouted.
In the second half of 1945, the atmosphere of civil war became stronger. More than 20 posters published by the General Assembly successively published many opinions on the issue of surrender, the negotiation between the KMT and the Communist Party, and the industrial and commercial crisis.
As the clouds of civil war approached, the teachers and students of the Union took concrete actions to fight back against the reactionary rule of the Kuomintang.
The Associated University Theatre and Art Club wrote and performed "Triumph", "Pan Yan's Biography" and "Report to the Land".
Among them, the drama "Triumph" has been performed in more than 40 shows, making the slogan "Against Civil War" deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
In the second half of 1945, in response to the National Government’s intensified preparations for the launch of a civil war, the teachers and students expressed their dissatisfaction in various ways.
They contacted a number of academic groups to oppose it, contacted a number of schools to hold a peaceful assembly, and even went on strike in anger.
On December 1, the Kuomintang military and police suddenly attacked the UN General Assembly and Yunda University, causing the "December 1" tragedy that shocked the whole country.
To this end, the UNU professors’ meeting has held 9 meetings, with approximately 80% of the professors participating.
Among them, teachers such as Pan Guangdan, Wen Yiduo, and Fei Xiaotong clearly stated their position on the strike; Fei Qing, Xiang Da, Feng Zhi and others took up pens against the authorities' brutality; Zhou Binglin, Qian Ruisheng, Yan Shutang and others formed a legal committee to defend their rights.
Due to the collective presence of the professors of the United Nations University and the heroic resistance of the students, this incident quickly became a hot topic at home and abroad. The strong pressure of public opinion finally forced the Chiang Kai-shek authorities to make concessions.
Stick to the ambition of a strong country
With the belief that the war of resistance will be victorious, Master Liansheng handled the relationship between the needs of the country's war of resistance and the long-term development of education during the difficult period of the war of resistance.
On the one hand, it pays attention to the application of science and technology in national defense and military, and has a tilt in scientific research and teaching.
For example, newly established research institutes of aviation, radio and metal, etc., added aeronautical engineering department, attached a radio motor repair department to existing majors, and added additional subjects such as military sanitary engineering, weapon science, and military structure.
Due to the shortage of reference books, the General Assembly has also compiled military textbooks and reference books.
In order to improve the practicality of knowledge, majors are also invited to teach "aviation knowledge" and "aviation translation knowledge".
Some professors of the United Nations General Assembly also actively adjusted the research interests to meet the needs of the war: physicist Zhou Peiyuan considered that the theory of relativity cannot directly serve the anti-war, and gave up the outstanding research on the theory of relativity and turned to turbulence research.
On the other hand, to implement the concept of general education, we have made great efforts in curriculum design and personnel training.
"The war will always pass, and our nation will have to build and rejuvenate after the war... Therefore, our studies cannot be interrupted, and our cultivation of talents cannot be interrupted." This is almost the common belief of the masters and students of Lianhe.
Since it is necessary to cultivate talents for strengthening the country and rejuvenating, then the ways and methods of training cannot be quick success.
Zheng Tongsun of the Faculty of Science advises students: "It is difficult for a narrow foundation to become a tall and sharp object. It is very unstable and easy to fall. You have to make the foundation very wide and it will be very solid. Your knowledge can really go up."
Even during the most anxious period of the Anti-Japanese War, the general education of the UN General Assembly was carried out quite well.
The Department of Literature increased the proportion of classical literature courses, and courses such as The Book of Songs, Chu Ci, and Pre-Qin Essays were all set up; in the curriculum of the History Department, Chinese history accounted for more than half of the credits.
In addition, Chinese and General History of China are compulsory general courses for all students.
Among them, the general history was taught by well-known professors such as Qian Mu, Wu Han, and Lei Haizong.
Facts have proved that the opening of general education courses has helped the growth of various talents.
Thanks to the nourishment of general knowledge, a large number of national pillars with both ability and political integrity have emerged from the Union University.
Many associate college students who went to overseas for further studies gave up the preferential treatment abroad and resolutely returned to serve the country after completing their studies, including Deng Jiaxian, He Binglin, and Huang Kun.
As many as 200 of the Lian Master students reached the level of academician, and 8 people including Guo Yonghuai, Zhao Jiuzhang, and Zhu Guangya became the "two bombs."
The reason why Southwest Associated University has become a model university in academics, morals and spirit is that the patriotism, the trip to serve the country, the heart of worrying about the country, and the aspirations to strengthen the country have been organically unified by the teachers and students of the Southwest United University, thus composing the patriotism of Southwest United , A picture scroll of immortal history serving the country.
(Author Yang Liping Unit: School of Marxism, East China Normal University)