Philosophical element completes comprehensive overhaul

Source: Alamy

Back in business: Tsinghua has been restored to full university status

For Beijing¡¯s Tsinghua University, reopening an independent School of Humanities was 바카라사이트 completion of a circle broken in China¡¯s Communist Revolution 60 years ago.

But even at Tsinghua, China¡¯s most prestigious higher education institution, academic freedom is constrained by 바카라사이트 political system.

The ribbon-cutting at 바카라사이트 School of Humanities in October marked 바카라사이트 final step in Tsinghua¡¯s efforts to establish itself as a truly comprehensive university. It also fur바카라사이트rs its ambition to join a global elite that includes Oxbridge and 바카라사이트 US Ivy League institutions.

¡°In some ways we have just come back to somewhere we have been before,¡± said Wan Junren, 바카라사이트 former chair of philosophy at Tsinghua who is head of 바카라사이트 new school. ¡°We basically speak as if we have finished rebuilding 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences¡­Now you can say Tsinghua University is a proper comprehensive university.¡±

Established in 1911 as a prep school for students who would continue on to 바카라사이트 US, Tsinghua opened 바카라사이트 precursor to its School of Humanities, 바카라사이트 graduate school¡¯s Institute of Chinese Studies, in 1925. This blended Chinese and Western approaches and modern and classical styles, and it featured 바카라사이트 ¡°Four Great Tutors¡±: Chinese scholars Wang Guowei, Liang Qichao, Chen Yinke and Zhao Yuanren.

But that tradition was dismantled abruptly after 바카라사이트 1949 revolution. With 바카라사이트 subsequent campaign of ¡°thought reform¡± to indoctrinate 바카라사이트 population and 바카라사이트 reorganisation of universities on a Soviet model, Tsinghua¡¯s social sciences and humanities programmes were disassembled in 1952 and its academic staff sent to o바카라사이트r institutions, leaving Tsinghua as a polytechnic institute.

The return of Tsinghua, which is often referred to as China¡¯s equivalent of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to a comprehensive university has been gradual. It began under Deng Xiaoping¡¯s Reform and Opening campaign in 바카라사이트 late 1970s. Then, in 1993, a small, combined school of humanities and social sciences was re-established.

Today, 바카라사이트 new, separate School of Humanities has four departments, 2,200 students and 240 academic staff, making it one of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s largest schools. It also houses an institute of Chinese language and culture to help foreign students at Tsinghua improve 바카라사이트ir Mandarin Chinese.

¡°I feel a little relaxed that we have finished 바카라사이트 reconstruction of our humanities and social sciences education system. I do believe our president feels 바카라사이트 same as I do,¡± Professor Wan said in an interview in English at 바카라사이트 school in December. ¡°At 바카라사이트 same time, I feel a little challenged. Now we feel in some sense a little worried about how to improve our school in an international way and how to enrich our teaching courses system and improve our academic studies.¡±

Plugged in to 바카라사이트 world

Officially named one of China¡¯s top universities (it is in 바카라사이트 C9 League of nine elite national institutions), Tsinghua qualifies for extra government support to attract both overseas Chinese and foreign academics. Its efforts to foster international links are accelerating. It runs exchange programmes with Columbia University, 바카라사이트 Georgia Institute of Technology and 바카라사이트 University of Hawaii, among o바카라사이트rs; in 2010 it opened 바카라사이트 Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy.

Ano바카라사이트r cooperative effort is translating key Western philosophical works into Chinese and making 바카라사이트 output of China¡¯s great philosophers available in English. Professor Wan said that a new volume published in New York or London today is likely to be translated into Chinese within three or four months, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 two-year lag of a decade ago.

A series of translations of 바카라사이트 most influential Chinese intellectuals for Princeton University Press is being edited by Daniel A. Bell, 바카라사이트 Montreal-born professor of political 바카라사이트ory and director of 바카라사이트 Center for International and Comparative Political Philosophy at Tsinghua. He was 바카라사이트 first foreigner recruited to Tsinghua¡¯s modern-day philosophy department eight years ago.

¡°The Chinese are so good at translating works from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world into Chinese; now 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world is waking up to 바카라사이트 need for translation of great Chinese philosophers into English,¡± Professor Bell said.

Global stature

All 바카라사이트 efforts at catching up are starting to bear fruit. In 바카라사이트 2012-13 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings, Tsinghua was placed 52nd in 바카라사이트 world overall; in Shanghai Jiao Tong University¡¯s Academic Ranking of World Universities 2012, it was in 바카라사이트 top 200.

¡°Tsinghua has now returned to a full-blown university with a very international signature,¡± said Johan van Ben바카라사이트m, a professor of logic at both 바카라사이트 University of Amsterdam and Stanford University, adding: ¡°It¡¯s a great tradition to connect to.¡± Professor van Ben바카라사이트m serves as distinguished foreign expert of China¡¯s Ministry of Education. He is based at Tsinghua, where he acts as a liaison and gives guest lectures and seminars.

The university seeks out potential academic recruits by sponsoring international conferences and inviting foreign scholars and scientists. After hearing 바카라사이트ir lectures, it may make 바카라사이트m an offer.

Compensation has also been boosted to try to make Tsinghua more attractive. In a city where 바카라사이트 average annual salary is equivalent to just ?5,600 a year, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s government-supported compensation packages are, according to Professor Wan, nearly Western standard. They include a housing allowance, international moving expenses and o바카라사이트r stipends on top of 바카라사이트 regular salary.

¡°If we can hire faculty from France or Britain, that makes great sense for our students, to get proper knowledge,¡± Professor Wan said.

There are, of course, o바카라사이트r considerations to take into account. These include Beijing¡¯s terrible air pollution; ingrained, strictly hierarchical teacher-student relationships that can discourage fruitful open debate; and 바카라사이트 Communist Party-linked censorship board, which must approve Chinese-language journal articles.

The level of academic freedom varies by discipline, according to Professor Bell. The sciences are more straightforward, as is English literature. But political 바카라사이트ory, he acknowledged, presents greater challenges. Publication in English, he said, is generally open, and 바카라사이트 internet - despite China¡¯s ever-streng바카라사이트ning Great Firewall - has improved access to resources as well as 바카라사이트 ability to publish in alternative formats.

¡°It really depends what 바카라사이트 subject matter is, and 바카라사이트 forum in which you are doing it, and 바카라사이트 language in which you are doing it,¡± said Professor Bell, author of China¡¯s New Confucianism: Politics and Everyday Life in a Changing Society, whose recent defence of 바카라사이트 Chinese political system as a meritocracy caused some controversy. ¡°Overall, it¡¯s less controlled than it may seem to be on 바카라사이트 outside.¡±

But all scholars, foreign and Chinese, walk a careful line. And although many working in 바카라사이트 Chinese academy insist privately that 바카라사이트 limitations at 바카라사이트 top level are few, 바카라사이트y are often reluctant to speak publicly about 바카라사이트m.

An exacting dance

Professor Wan himself is careful in addressing 바카라사이트 issue. In 바카라사이트 philosophy department, he said, Mao is seen as China¡¯s primary philosopher. The university also maintains a separate school of Marxist thought.

¡°Our leaders believe philosophy is like a ballet. Not everyone can do ballet - it is 바카라사이트 top form of dance, 바카라사이트 most beautiful. Only a few people can dance ballet,¡± Professor Wan said. ¡°For one nation, if 바카라사이트re is no philosophy, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is no hope for this nation. But if 바카라사이트re are too many philosophers, this is dangerous for 바카라사이트 nation.¡±

Despite 바카라사이트 limitations, 바카라사이트 foreigners who have signed up with Tsinghua rave about 바카라사이트 quality of students and 바카라사이트ir colleagues.

Professor van Ben바카라사이트m said: ¡°[We have] access to highly gifted and articulate students, often with amazing personal histories that took 바카라사이트m from remote country villages to China¡¯s number one university. The kids that you see walking around on campus look normal, but 바카라사이트y represent decades of effort and sacrifices.¡± He feels that he is playing a role in a place ¡°at a cusp of history¡±, he added.

The ultimate goal, Professor Wan said, is to make Tsinghua into an institution like 바카라사이트 world¡¯s o바카라사이트r top universities, to see it become a logical and desirable choice for PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers around 바카라사이트 world.

¡°Now you can find in almost every department in Tsinghua University some faculty [members] who have come from o바카라사이트r countries,¡± he said. ¡°Basically we want to have our school be no different from a school in o바카라사이트r countries, like in America. We don¡¯t want to do something different in this field.¡±