Peking University, Dec. 9, 2015: On December 3, the Liberal Education Forum was initiated by Office of Educational Administration, Peking University. Lin Jianhua, president of PKU was invited to deliver the first speech on the educational development of PKU.
In his speech, Lin reviewed the development of Chinese higher education and the history of Peking University, and pointed out the status quo of and the problems in PKU’s education and teaching. He said that the undergraduate education was faced with new challenges due to the profound changes in international situations and national developmental policies; whereas PKU as the comprehensive university with a history of over 100 years should play a leading role in the reform of undergraduate education.

PKU’s educational goal, according to Lin, is to cultivate “the students leading the future” who should be more creative and independent, who are capable of learning from other civilizations and undertaking responsibilities in shaping and leading social mores. PKU as a research university will offer the best resources for the development of students’ intelligence and creativity.

Lin also stressed that PKU would take the path of combining general education with professional education. General education would help students understand the meaning of life, make the right choice, and seek for their career; while in professional education, PKU enhanced the teaching mode with the focus on discovery and exploration, and encouraged teachers, graduates and undergraduates to work together in the “adventure of exploration”. PKU would not copy the educational mode of liberal arts nor stick to traditional mode of professional education; instead, the combination of two ways would be the choice, in order to turn the undergraduate education into an exploring and innovative process, and to keep our students passionate, imaginative and creative in their pursuit of knowledge.
Lin said, “I think that whether our undergraduate education could always make students confident, curious, enthusiastic, and initiative is the way to judge whether this educational mode is successful or not.” Through educational reform, he hoped that the students of PKU had both humanities quality and scientific spirit, excellent academic foundation and the interdisciplinary thinking ability.

In the end of his speech, Lin expressed his wish that graduates of PKU could make contributions to the human progress in ideas, technology and economy, as well as to make a better China and a better world. 


Written by: Zhang Xinyu
Edited by: Xiao Yunyun
Source: PKU News (Chinese)