The 2018 CQU Education Conference is held from November 21 to 22, 2018. The Conference takes “staying true to the original intention to foster the undergraduate education of CQU style with Chinese characteristics; keeping in mind the mission to cultivate innovative talents capable of rejuvenating the Chinese nation” as the theme. Present officials, senior officials that have resigned yet not retired and academicians have attended the Conference. More than 600 persons including officials and cadres above the deputy-director-general level, reputable teachers of various levels and teacher and student representatives are also present at the Conference. Liao Ruijin, vice president, have presided at the Conference.
On the afternoon of November 21, President Zhang Zongyi delivered a keynote speech titled “A Greeting to the Spring of New Era of Education – Fostering the First-rate Undergraduate Education of CQU Style with Chinese Characteristics” at the opening ceremony of the Conference. In his speech, Zhang looked back on the achievements made by Chongqing University in undergraduate education in the past 4 years, and probed deeply into the situation and challenges facing the undergraduate education. After that, he devoted a substantial proportion to the systematic deployment of the next-step reform and development of undergraduate education that was in response to the spirit of National Conference on Education and National Working Conference on Undergraduate Education in Colleges and Universities, and the Suggestions on Expediting Construction of High-level Undergraduate Education and Comprehensively Improving Talent Cultivation Capacity of the Ministry of Education.
Zhang pointed out that since the Education Working Conference was held in 2014, with joint efforts of the teachers and students of Chongqing University, the undergraduate education level and undergraduate talent cultivating capacity of Chongqing University had both heightened, and an undergraduate talent cultivating system of high standard with characteristics had basically formed. The undergraduate education is now in a new development stage. In this new era, with new situations and requirements, the undergraduate education philosophy and practice of Chongqing University needs further innovation and improvement. We should seize this opportunity and rise to the challenges with the courage to make innovation of the philosophy and practice, so that we will become the leading role in construction of first-rate undergraduate education. In addition, we should concentrate our efforts on comprehensively improving the school running quality and cultivation standard to output high-quality innovation-oriented talents that are adapted to the future and able to shape the future.
Zhang expounded on the systematic deployment of construction of first-rate undergraduate education of CQU style with Chinese characteristics from 6 perspectives, including sticking to morality education and holding fast to the value and mission of universities in the new era; strengthening top-level design and building a first-rate undergraduate education ecology; focusing on student development and furthering undergraduate teaching reform; expediting team building and enhancing teachers’ ability of teaching and education; gathering resources of various sources and building a collaborative mechanism of talent cultivation; and fostering the quality culture and enhancing the overall level of talent cultivation. He also mentioned the “eight-firstly” requirements and “four-return” strategy, and suggested that we should make good for deficiency, expedite reform, improve the quality and raise the level of education. Zhang Zongyi stressed that undergraduate education is the foundation for development of a university. First-rate undergraduate education is the core mission and critical foundation of “Double-First-Rate” construction of Chongqing University. We should stay true to the original mission and keep in mind our mission, so that we will be able to build consensus and work hand in hand to build the first-rate undergraduate education and output more innovation-oriented talents that are able to rejuvenate the Chinese nation.
The 2029 Action Plan for Undergraduate Education of Chongqing University was released at the Conference. According to the Action Plan, the development goals will be achieved in “two steps”: In 2020, the first-rate undergraduate education system of CQU style with Chinese characteristics will be basically formed, with the overall undergraduate education reaching the world leading level; in 2029, the 100th Anniversary of Chongqing University, the first-rate undergraduate education system of CQU style with Chinese characteristics will be completely formed, and the overall undergraduate education will reach the world first-rate level. The Action Plan also interprets the basic connotation of the first-rate undergraduate education system of CQU style with Chinese characteristics and proposes the first-rate undergraduate education philosophy and specific paths for the first time.
On the morning of November 22, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Social Science, Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Built Environment, and Faculty of Information Technology had heated discussion over the president’s report and the Action Plan. The attendants expressed their opinions and offered advices and suggestions on improvement of the quality of undergraduate education efforts and undergraduate talent cultivation. Some of the university officials also participated in grouped discussions.
The closing ceremony of the Conference was held on the afternoon of November 22. The representatives of the faculties delivered a summary speech of their discussion groups. Suggestions and advices were offered on updating the education philosophy and ideas, strengthening top-level design, reforming teaching management, enhancing teaching team building, improving collaborative talent cultivation mechanism and perfecting teaching quality monitoring and guaranteeing system based on the school running philosophy and thoughts and measures proposed by Chongqing University and the actual conditions of the respective faculty.
In the summary speech, Zhou Xun, secretary of CPC CQU Committee, pointed out that the Conference was of extreme significance for unifying thoughts throughout the University, building consensus, identifying the basic goals and missions of undergraduate education, strengthening the central position of undergraduate talent cultivation and comprehensively improving the talent cultivating capacity of CQU. As for the next steps of undergraduate education improvement, Zhou stated that we should stick closely to morality education and talent cultivation as the core mission, with former as the core and the latter as the foundation, and the ultimate outcome as the basic measure of all efforts. Teachers should be used as the core forces, and the University should create an encouraging environment for growth of teachers and provide them with a platform and opportunities of self-development. Services should be provided throughout the process. The incentive mechanism and policies of the University should be reflected in undergraduate education in the first place. The core competitiveness and teaching quality of the University should be embodied in undergraduate education; the development strategy and school running philosophy should also be implemented in undergraduate education at first; and the core value system of CQU should be established at first in undergraduate education as well. In addition, we should strengthen the awareness of responsibility for undergraduate education service and ensure all efforts are directed towards the same goal, and that the decision of the central leading body of CPC and the Ministry of Education is implemented satisfactorily by Chongqing University.
Zhou Xun emphasized that the attending representatives should bring the spirit of the Conference back to and should communicate the spirit throughout their respective organization. The functional departments, directly controlled organizations and schools should appoint a special time to further deepen the recognition, unify thoughts and form systematic work scheme and measures based on the actual conditions of the organization. The CPC members, officials and cadres of various levels and the faculty members should play a leading role and make concerted efforts to create an inspiring environment where everyone works to make contributions to improvement of undergraduate education.
