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Peking University, May 30, 2011: “I hope the school can create more ‘firsts’ in China’s history and even the world’s history,” said Professor Zhou Qifeng, President of Peking University.
Professor Zhou made the remarks at the ceremony for the 10th anniversary of the PKU School of Journalism and Communication on May 28.
“Peking University was the fountainhead of China's journalism and journalism education,” said Professor Zhou. Peking University created many “firsts” in China: it initiated college courses in journalism, established the first research group in journalism, published the first book on the news study, launched the first news journal, and it was the first university to establish a journalism major after the founding of New China. President Zhou also spoke highly of the achievements made since the re-establishment of the SJC in 2001.
Shao Huaze, honorary chairman of the All-China Journalists Association and the SJC’s dean, delivered his speech at the celebration. "The time of 10 years is the childhood of a person, the same as of a school."
In the past decade, the school had always been exploring ways to develop, said Professor Shao. The achievements were made by all the faculties and students of the school, but also they were inseparable from external help.
China is in a new historical period of reform and development, during which Peking University is also endeavoring to become a world-class university. These conditions have provided the school with an unprecedented opportunity, Professor Shao added. “In this new historical starting point, the school will confront the challenge and step further to achieve more.”
Wu Hengquan, editor-in-chief of People's Daily, said that China’s earliest education of journalism was originated from PKU. Although the school was established just 10 years ago, it is imbued with the hundred-year history of the Chinese journalism. In this decade, a large number of outstanding graduates and undergraduates were sent to People's Daily and made great contributions. He hoped that in the future more students could work at People’s Daily.
"Shao Piaoping's pen outmatched 100,000 sodiers," the chief editor of the Party mouthpiece referred to a pioneering educator of journalism at PKU, who was also among China's best-noted practitioners of journalistic ideals. "I hope the young people can learn from our forefathers."
Xiao Dongfa, a SJC professor, made his speech on behalf of the faculty. “While reviewing the achievements we had made, it was more important for us to reflect upon the past,” said Professor Xiao.
The school played an indispensable role in PKU’s endeavor to become a top university in the world. To serve this end, “First, we should think about how to deal with the worship of sages and how to inherit and carry forward, even beyond the moral glory of our ancestors; second, we should always seek to improve teaching and educating young students and cultivate them to shoulder the responsibility of the age; third, we must shoulder the responsibility of the scholars to benefit the society,” Professor Xiao suggested.
On behalf of students and alumni, Yin Qing ’11 shared her wishes to the SJC’s birthday. “It is a soil of freedom and liberty, a courage to be frank with ourselves, a vision unshakable, and a love and generosity towards our homeland that our school has entitled us,” said Yin.
A cooperation agreement on development was signed between the SJC and 10 leading Chinese media – People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Guangming Daily, Economic Daily, China Radio International, China National Radio, China Central Television, China Daily, Radio Beijing Corporation, and Radio and Television Shanghai. Under the agreement, scholars from the school would cooperate with the 10 media giants on academic research, and the media would provide internship opportunities for SJC students in order to achieve a win-win situation.
During the inaugural ceremony of the SJC Alumni Association, Xu Hong, executive deputy dean of School of Journalism and Communication and president of the association, said that as the youngest alumni association at PKU, it would undertake to build a communication platform to make best use of the resources available. Alumni representatives Zhang Lei and Bai Zhenzhi delivered a speech and reviewed their graduate life at the school.
At the following forum on the development trend of journalism and communication in a “merging media” era, seven deans from the School of Journalism and Communication from Renmin University of China, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Chongqing University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shih Hsin University, and Peking University held a discussion on the education of journalism in a new age.
A number of academic seminars were held prior to the ceremony in celebrating the school’s 10th anniversary.
Extended Reading:
"Publish or perish" in a digital era
Internet and society: Challenge, transition, and development
Nation branding: Public diplomacy and national image building
Written by: Liu Lu
Edited by: Jacques
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
