◎Intern reporter Sun Mingyuan
In the final analysis, the distinctive characteristics of "short school time, high starting point, research-oriented, high degree of opening to the outside world, small and sophisticated" all serve social needs, and organized scientific research oriented to social needs is the core of new research-oriented universities. feature.
In recent years, with the continuous development of my country's higher education and scientific and technological undertakings, the popularity of the term "new research university" has continued to rise.
The "14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China and Outline of Vision 2035" released in March 2021 proposed to support the development of new types of innovation entities such as new research universities and new research and development institutions.
The establishment of a new type of research university is related to the construction of a new development pattern of higher education and the improvement of the national innovation system.
A few days ago, at the opening ceremony of the 2nd BEYOND International Science and Technology Innovation Expo, Shi Yigong, President of West Lake University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, mentioned that as a new concept, the new type of research university has gradually entered the vision of national top-level design and is increasingly accepted by the whole society. and recognition.
As for the "new" of the new research-oriented university, many scholars and educators have drawn many conclusions from the aspects of disciplines, teachers, enrollment, and scientific research.
So, what gave birth to a new type of research university?
What should we pay attention to when building a new type of research university?
National innovation and development needs give birth to new research universities
Yan Jianzhuo, deputy dean of the Institute of Science and Technology Development of Beijing University of Technology, believes that the reasons for the emergence of new research universities include national strategic needs, national scientific and technological innovation and development needs, the construction and development stage of "double first-class" universities and the needs of international integration.
New research universities should not only promote economic growth by means of knowledge creation and technology transfer, but also need to shift from passively responding to social needs to actively improving the innovation environment, actively narrowing the distance between the government, industry and other social innovation entities, and building trust relationships.
The new type of research university needs to be the hub of local, regional and national innovation networks and the vanguard of expanding international scientific and technological cooperation.
Professor Chen Hongjie from the School of Education of Peking University pointed out that the deep reason for the rise of the new type of research university lies in the transformation of the knowledge production model, and it can organize scientific research activities according to the specific needs of the industry and society.
Traditional higher education is based on disciplines, and the logic of disciplines is deeply embedded in the entire talent training system. It is obviously a very arduous task to change the long-standing discipline-based training system.
With the transformation of knowledge production mode, it is difficult for traditional universities to make fundamental changes in knowledge production and personnel training, and new research universities emerge as the times require.
According to the relevant person in charge of the Education Research Institute of Tsinghua University, different from traditional research universities, new research universities pay more attention to interdisciplinary research and the practicality of scientific research results.
Traditional research universities are more inclined to long-term, continuous and theoretical research in academic research, while new research universities are just the opposite. Focus on academic research in frontier areas, invest in scientific research funds, recruit high-level talents, and obtain major breakthroughs in this field.
The Orientation of New-type Research University Construction Should Be Clearly Defined
At present, the development of a new type of research university is not only a practical need to accelerate the development of scientific and technological innovation in my country, but also an attempt to develop a new development model for my country's local research universities under the innovation-driven background.
How to build a new type of research university with a shell and core, keep pace with the times, not only embody the national innovation and development requirements, but also meet the practical needs of building a high-quality talent training system?
The main feature of a new type of research university is that it can produce high-level scientific research results needed by society and promote the transfer and transformation of high-level scientific research results.
Yan Jianzhuo said that Beijing University of Technology has achieved a lot of innovation and transformation achievements, especially in advanced materials and intelligent manufacturing, environment and life and health, modern urban construction, new generation information technology and other advantageous disciplines, there are a number of high-level achievements concentrated emerge.
"And this is just the beginning for Beijing University of Technology," said Yan Jianzhuo.
In addition, Yan Jianzhuo also said that talents are the first resource for innovation, and new-type research universities not only produce high-level scientific research results, but also cultivate high-level scientific and technological talents.
In order to get rid of the chronic problems of "five factors" in talent evaluation, Beijing University of Technology has explored the "classified evaluation" system for teachers, so that teachers who focus on teaching can focus on teaching, and teachers who focus on scientific research can concentrate on scientific research.
Xiong Bingqi, dean of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, pointed out that one of the keys to building a new type of research university is a clear positioning.
In the past 10 years, many universities, including some newly added undergraduate colleges, have proposed a "small but refined" school-running orientation.
However, the new type of research university is not just "small and refined". In the final analysis, the distinctive features of "short-running time, high starting point, research-oriented, high degree of opening to the outside world, small and refined" are all serving the needs of society, while facing the society The need for organized research is the core feature of the new research university.
"If you only focus on characteristics, but ignore the purpose of running a school, the university may fall into the same route of running a school again, and the new type of research university will be superficial." Xiong Bingqi reminded.
From the perspective of major categories, there are both schools that implement scientific research education and schools that implement vocational education.
Among them, schools that implement scientific research education may also have different positions such as research universities, teaching and research universities, and liberal arts colleges.
"Educational administrators should clarify the connotation of a new type of research university, clarify the orientation of running a school based on its own characteristics, and avoid pursuing this title under policy incentives," Xiong Bingqi said.
Xiong Bingqi commented that although the new type of research university is "high and high", it should not be the common pursuit of all universities.
Cultivating good talents is the fundamental task of higher education. Colleges and universities of different types and levels can develop their own characteristics and level, and strive to become world-class universities.