China News Weekly reporter / Zhou Qunfeng
Published in the 1048th issue of "China News Weekly" on June 20, 2022
On June 10, Anhui Normal University held a school-wide meeting of cadres and teachers, announcing the decision of the provincial party committee and the provincial government to appoint Li Yadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as the school's president.
Li Yadong, born in 1964, is a well-known chemist and a former professor of chemistry at Tsinghua University.
Anhui Normal University became the fourth university to welcome the "Academician President" after Zhengzhou University, Henan University, and Chongqing University after entering June.
Recently, the personnel adjustment in colleges and universities has been intensive, and many academicians who have made great achievements in the academic field have taken up the post of president.
According to incomplete statistics, since January this year, the new presidents of at least 9 colleges and universities have been academicians.
Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, said in an interview with China News Weekly that many colleges and universities hope to choose a more influential president to improve their status, and academicians have certain advantages. After the principal can drive the development of related fields of the school.
At the same time, academicians have an important say in whether the application of many subject projects in colleges and universities can be passed. After they become principals, it is also beneficial to the school in this regard.
"But whether an academician can be a good president still needs to be tested by practice." Chu Zhaohui said that from a practical point of view, some college presidents can do well even though they are not academicians.
Therefore, it is not like only academic qualifications and diplomas, thinking that to be a college president must be "academician only".
He believes that when colleges and universities hire academicians as presidents, they should fully consider their professional direction and advantages, and whether they are consistent with the school's educational philosophy and goals.
In 11 days, 5 academicians took office as president
According to the Ministry of Education, on January 7, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee announced the appointment decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council at Southeast University, and Huang Ru was appointed as the President of Southeast University (deputy minister level).
She also became the first academician to take up the post of university president this year.
Huang Ru was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2015, and served as the dean of the School of Information Science and Technology of Peking University.
She is mainly engaged in the research of microelectronic low-power devices and processes. She has won the second prize of the National Technology Invention Award, the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, and the first prize of the Natural Science Award of the Ministry of Education.
On February 17, Shenzhen University held a cadre meeting, announcing Mao Junfa as the school's president.
Mao Jun took place in 1965 and was admitted to the National University of Defense Technology in 1981 with the second place in the college entrance examination in Shaoyang City.
In November 2017, he was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Mao Junfa is mainly engaged in the research of high-speed circuit interconnection and RF electronic packaging, and serves as the head of the innovation group of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the chief scientist of 973 in related fields.
On February 18, the leading cadre meeting of Shandong Institute of Petrochemical Technology was held.
Deng Yunfeng, then director of the Shandong Provincial Department of Education, presided over the meeting and presented Xu Chunming with the letter of appointment as the dean.
Shandong Institute of Petrochemical Technology is a public full-time general undergraduate university approved by the Ministry of Education last year, formerly known as Victory College of China University of Petroleum.
Xu Chunming has been devoted to the research of chemistry. He has published more than 300 related papers in famous journals at home and abroad, authorized 36 international invention patents and 102 Chinese invention patents.
In 2019, he was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
On April 21, Lu Lin was appointed as the dean of Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences).
Lu Lin is mainly engaged in the research of clinical diagnosis and treatment technology and pathogenesis of mental and psychological diseases. He used to be the president of Peking University Sixth Hospital.
In September 2017, he was hired by the Ministry of Science and Technology as the leader of the key special expert group of the National Key R&D Program "Research on the Prevention and Control of Major Chronic Non-Infectious Diseases".
In November of that year, he was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, becoming the first academician in the field of mental health in China.
From May 30 to June 10, in just 11 days, 5 colleges and universities welcomed academicians and presidents: on May 30, Long Teng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was appointed as the president of Beijing Institute of Technology; on June 2, Wang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering Shuxin was appointed as the President of Chongqing University. He is mainly engaged in teaching and research in intelligent robot technology, mechanical system dynamics and control, and advanced manufacturing technology. On June 5, Zhang Suojiang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was appointed as the President of Henan University. He is an expert in chemical engineering and mainly She is engaged in the research of ionic liquids and green processes; on the same day, Li Peng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was appointed as the president of Zhengzhou University. She is a molecular physiologist and has long been engaged in the research of lipid metabolism and metabolic diseases; on June 10, Li Yadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was appointed as the president of Anhui Normal University.
"China News Weekly" noted that many of these new "Academician School (Academic) Presidents" had served as Vice-Presidents (Deans).
Huang Ru was the vice president of Peking University, Wang Shuxin was the vice president of Tianjin University, and Mao Junfa was the vice president of Shanghai Jiaotong University.
Some "academician principals" returned to their alma mater to be the principals, such as Huang Ruzeng who studied at Nanjing Institute of Technology (the predecessor of Southeast University), and Li Yadong who studied at Anhui Normal University; others returned to their hometown to be the principals, such as this time as the principal of Anhui Normal University. Li Yadong is of Anhui nationality, Xu Chunming, the dean of Shandong Petrochemical Institute, is of Shandong nationality, and Zhang Suojiang, the president of Henan University, is of Henan nationality.
Fan Fengchun, a professor at the School of Public Administration of Sichuan University, said in an interview with the media that the president of the university is a "key minority" who has an important influence on the development of the school, and the selection of the president of the university affects the development of the school to a certain extent.
Recently, the phenomenon of "academician principals" in colleges and universities has become more and more common, which has attracted social attention.
According to incomplete statistics, as of now, there are 9 academicians serving as university presidents in 2022, more than last year.
In 2021, 8 academicians will serve as university presidents. They are Jin Li, president of Fudan University (academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences), Gao Song, president of Sun Yat-sen University (academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences), You Zheng, president of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering), and President of Capital Normal University Fang Fuquan ( Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences), President of Harbin Institute of Technology Han Jiecai (Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences), President of Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Gong Xingao (Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences), President of Northeastern University Feng Xiating (Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering) and President of Beijing University of Technology Nie Zuoren (Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering).
Earlier in 2020, there were also examples of Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, serving as the president of Southern University of Science and Technology, and Shan Zhongde, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, serving as the president of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Why do colleges and universities compete to attract academicians?
The appointment of academicians as presidents of colleges and universities is closely related to the policy of attracting talents in various places. Judging from the official speech at the relevant appointment ceremony or the position of the new "academician president", "gathering talents", "striving for first-class" and "integration of science and education" have become key words.
For example, at the appointment ceremony of the presidents of Zhengzhou University and Henan University, Lou Yangsheng, secretary of the Henan Provincial Party Committee, mentioned the issue of talents.
At the appointment ceremony of the president of Zhengzhou University, he said that the introduction of talents and the gathering of talents should be regarded as a fundamental and strategic event to attract more outstanding talents from Henan to serve their hometowns.
At the appointment ceremony, Li Peng said that Zhengzhou University will firmly aim at Chinese characteristics and a world-class school-running policy, build an education and teaching system based on morality and people, develop advantageous disciplines and an innovation platform, and "become an educational highland in the Central Plains, science and technology. Highland, talent highland".
At the cadre meeting where Lu Lin was hired as the dean of Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Bai Yugang, member of the Standing Committee of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee and head of the Propaganda Department, mentioned that hiring Lu Lin was the focus of the provincial party committee on higher medical education in Shandong Province. The high-quality development and the deepening of the reform of science and education integration are based on the needs of school (college) leadership construction and career development, and the decision is made after overall consideration, full deliberation, and careful research.
Lu Lin said that he will change his role as soon as possible, strengthen the goal of building a first-class university, continue to deepen the integration of science and education, give full play to his professional advantages, implement the strategic cooperation between Peking University and Shandong Province, strengthen the construction of a large platform for brain science and brain-like research, and promote the first in Shandong. Medical University "Double First-Class" University Process.
On October 31, 2021, Mao Junfa, the then vice president of Shanghai Jiaotong University, said that at present, the overall strength and quantitative indicators of my country's top universities are at the first-class level in the world, "Nevertheless, compared with world-class universities, the major scientific There are not many discoveries and major technological inventions, and at the same time, efforts are still needed to open up new disciplines, promote major scientific and technological progress, and solve the country's 'stuck neck' problem."
On June 10 this year, Mao Junfa, who has been serving as the president of Shenzhen University for nearly four months, said at an event, "The goal of Shenzhen University is very clear, that is, it hopes to become a world-class innovative university in the middle of the 21st century."
He said that Shenzhen University "to become a world-class university, it must be based on the special zone, embrace Hong Kong and Macao, have the motherland in mind, and face the world. This is the strategy and mind that a world-class university should have."
He also said that he hoped that Shenzhen University would not be distracted by superficial indicators such as university rankings, or interfered by external factors, and would study some major topics with the attitude of "grinding a sword in ten years" and make solid contributions.
There is public opinion that academicians, as presidents, consciously fulfill the mission of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, whether it is to promote scientific and technological research, or to solve "stuck neck" problems, whether to develop science and technology as the primary productive force, cultivate talents as the first resource, and enhance innovation. A better combination of motivation, or strengthening the connection between the construction of a research university and the national strategic goals and strategic tasks, etc., have unique advantages and can give full play to their own strengths.
Judging from past cases, some academicians have played a positive role in the implementation of scientific research achievements in colleges and universities after serving as presidents.
On November 1, 2018, Li Yuanyuan became the president of Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
He has long been engaged in teaching and scientific research in the fields of powder metallurgy, material processing engineering and mechanical engineering.
In 2013, he was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Before being elected as an academician, Li Yuanyuan had accumulated many years of experience as a university president. In 2003, he was appointed as the president of South China University of Technology, and in 2011 he was appointed as the president of Jilin University.
In 2017, during the National Two Sessions, the then president of Jilin University Li Yuanyuan said in an interview: According to incomplete statistics, the annual application of Jilin University's scientific research results in the economic and social development of Jilin Province has generated an additional output value of more than 10 billion yuan. Jilin University has contributed to most of the new growth points, such as the pillar industries of China, the emerging pharmaceutical industry, production and service industries, etc.
Chu Zhaohui told China News Weekly that after academicians become presidents, in addition to their academic experience and other factors, they will also have some positive effects on the school.
He said that there is now a phenomenon in which school leaders and full-time teachers compete for first- and second-level professors in some colleges and universities, and some school leaders do not do scientific research, but want to compete for professors. This is an unhealthy phenomenon and cannot be convincing.
After the academician becomes the president, this problem will not exist.
In addition, in terms of the school's internal management system, some school leaders lack external blood, and there is a phenomenon of "inbreeding".
"This is not conducive to the long-term development of the school. After hiring an academician from the outside as the principal, it will help to solve this situation." Chu Zhaohui said.
Get rid of the concept of "only hats"
After taking office, the "Academician Presidents" have high expectations from all walks of life, and their academic philosophy and whether they can adapt to the role change have also attracted much attention.
Xiong Bingqi, president of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, told China News Weekly that the academic ability of academicians is recognized, but being able to do academic research well does not mean that they can manage a university well.
After all, running a university is not the same as conducting academic research.
If the academician continues to engage in academic research after serving as the president, it is likely to affect the investment in the management of the school.
In Xiong Bingqi's view, the president is a profession that requires full dedication. From a global perspective, many university presidents, even if they were first-class scholars before serving as presidents, no longer engage in academic research after serving as presidents, or even no longer With doctoral students, but to do a good job in school management and teacher-student services.
Since the principal no longer conducts academic research, he avoids using his power to seek more resources for his own academic research, and avoids the separation of administrative power, academic power and educational power.
Xiong Bingqi said that in order to deal with this problem, some colleges and universities in my country require the president of the college not to serve as the chairman of the academic committee of the school and to withdraw from the academic committee, but if the principal continues to engage in academic research, it does not make much sense to withdraw from the academic committee.
Obviously, it is unrealistic to ask "academician principals" not to do academic research.
Therefore, how to deal with the relationship between academic research and administrative management, administrative power and academic power is a good question that the "Academician President" needs to answer.
He said that from the perspective of school management, the primary concern should be the educational management ability of the principal, but our society views the position of the principal from an academic perspective, and believes that the principal is a first-class scholar and academician, and only matches the position of the principal.
In addition, when the society evaluates a university president, it does not first look at the school development and progress made by him in managing the university, but at the academic research results he continues to obtain in his post as president.
For example, the media often reported that a university president, while serving as the president, led a research team to tackle key problems and published papers in top journals.
Xiong Bingqi said that for local undergraduate colleges, the appointment of "academician principals" may be considered to improve the school's status by academicians. When the principal attends various activities on behalf of the school, the academician status can "enhance" the school.
This is actually the "hat only" concept that needs to be dismantled.
He said that the development and construction of schools should pay attention to lining, not face.
To build a local undergraduate college well, it needs to have a clear and definite positioning, based on serving the local economic development, and running the school's characteristics.
Only by stepping out of the unique road of running schools and focusing on the development of connotation can we promote the improvement of the quality of running schools in local undergraduate colleges in my country.
Chu Zhaohui also said that from a global perspective, many university presidents are full-time, and full-time principals can concentrate on doing things within the scope of the principal's responsibilities.
However, after colleges and universities hire academicians as presidents, if they still want to involve them too much in scientific research and other activities, it will be difficult for them to have enough energy to do a good job in management.
They will become what the educator Tao Xingzhi called a "fate-based principal", which is not conducive to the long-term development of colleges and universities.
Chu Zhaohui told China News Weekly that a case that impressed him was that in the mid-1980s, a doctor was employed as the principal of a middle school.
But after just two or three years, the doctor left.
"Academicians in colleges and universities as presidents are similar to those in middle schools who ask doctors to be presidents." He said, "Many universities have not developed well now because of factors such as internal management and academic rules. Universities should not have academicians and presidents. Excessive expectations, thinking that after they take office, all problems will be solved. Even if they are also academicians, there are differences in personality and ability. "
Chu Zhaohui said, "Once they get to the principal position, they should be mentally prepared to be tested in all aspects."
"China News Weekly" Issue 22, 2022
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