Exploration and Practice on the International Exchange and Cooperation and Innovative
Talents Cultivation of Architectural Universities under the Background of the Belt and Road Strategy
President of Jilin Jianzhu University Dai Xin
Honorable President Zhang Ailin and honorable colleagues,
Because most of you are the colleagues from overseas universities, please allow me to introduce my university simply to colleagues from overseas universities. And I think colleagues from domestic universities are very familiar with my school already.
Our university is called Jilin Jianzhu University, locating in Changchun City, Jinlin Province, China, in the northeast China. Our university is a university of key construction under the management of Jilin provincial government as well as a university constructed by Jinlin provincial government and MOHURD of China together. There are 16000 students in our university now, among them, 15000 undergraduates and 1000 postgraduates. Currently, there are 49 undergraduate majors, and 8 level 1 authorization disciplines of master’s degree. The basic characteristic of our university is civil engineering and architecture. Today, all of us are the same type universities. As for our difference from other domestic architectural colleges and universities, it is that we locate in severe cold area. Severe cold area is also our scientific research including talents cultivation, one of our starting points, as well as one of our specialties. Some of our scientific research work and some talent cultivation work are also related to the requirements of the severe cold area.
Today, my report is divided into 4 projects, 4 titles. Among them, the first and the second aspects are the theoretic contents, mainly about cognition. Through the conference this morning and listening to the speeches of each president, I feel our cognition is not so complete. Therefore, I will not spend much time on part I and Part II.
Generally speaking, we think that the Belt and Road is beneficial for opening new direction for the cooperation of architectural universities, enriching the new connotation of international cooperation of architecture universities and innovating the new mode for the cooperation and exchange of architectural universities.
Part II is about the opportunities and challenges confronted by architectural universities under the strategic background of the Belt and Road. As is mentioned by all presidents just now, our architectural universities also have talents cultivation, scientific research, social service and culture inheritance as other universities. The contribution we made for the Belt and Road needs the talent support, technical support, intelligent support and the support of cultural inheritance.
I want to focus on part III. Part III is about the work of our university, the exploration and practice on International exchange and cooperation and innovative talents cultivation of Jilin Jianzhu University. This part is divided into two small parts too. One is the introduction of our university’s international cooperation and exchange work, the other is one characteristic talent cultivation project of our university. Why do I want to talk about it? Because it cultivates international talents, is the crystallization of our exploration. We have early and relatively high cognition on international cooperation and exchange. Some people say international cooperation and exchange is the fifth function of the university, except the previous 4 functions. What level does our cognition reach? We cognized the fourth function, however, due to different reasons, the substantial work of international cooperation and exchange is not carried out until in recent 5 years, or more precisely, in recent three years. All in all, our efforts on international cooperation and exchange are strengthened continuously. What work does our university do?
They are mainly these projects. First, we positively select and send excellent backbone teachers overseas for study, by utilizing the relevant projects of State Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Education, the projects of provincial government. Our university also resorts to different other methods by ourselves, allocate special funds for it. In recent 5 years, we have send more than 100 teacher abroad for training, and this year, 48 teachers are sent out for study.
Second, we also import overseas experts and scholars to our university to work positively. In recent 5 years, by taking different measures, we imported 18 experts and scholars to join us, most of them through soft import, few through hard import. Among them, 2 are employed by our province as Changbai Mountain Scholars which is the highest level of talent titles of our province.
As for education aspect, we have four 2+2 projects for undergraduate; two are cooperation with Russia, and the other two are cooperation with USA. As for postgraduate, we have cooperation with 3 universities, two with UK universities, and one with USA universities.
At present, we have sent more than 800 students out for exchange, with proportion reaching 5%. Besides, we also carry out overseas students work positively, though the starting point is relatively late, starting from 2105. Now we already have 120 overseas students. However, as for the connection with the Road and Belt, I think our university’s overseas students have closer connection with it, because most of our overseas students are from countries along the Belt and Road. In scientific research aspect, at the beginning of this year, we signed an innovative computing center with the 8448 University of UK. This center has been listed as provincial level scientific platform by Development and Reform Commission of Jilin province. Meanwhile, we also encourage each discipline, each college to hold various kinds of international conferences.
Generally speaking, our international cooperation and exchange is still at its preliminary starting stage, and there are still a lot of problems. One problem is that there is utilitarianism in the option of project, and usually these projects on the table are more positive. Besides, the exchange level is limited. Previously, the exchange is one to one, either with institution or with schools. This is the first time to join multilateral exchange of the Consortium. So I would like to thank Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture for listing us as the foundation member of the Consortium. In other aspects, we also have many other disadvantages. Like in the exchange process, whenever exchange is mentioned, we take it as introduction, absorption and learning. As for the kind of output exchange and mutual exchange, this concept is not so good. All in all, at present, the school is creating conditions and atmosphere. Compared with three years ago, I think our consciousness of opening and exchange is totally different now. International exchange and cooperation is not the unique function of International Exchange and Cooperation Office any more. With wide contact with foreign countries, each discipline, each college and even teachers have strengthened exchange awareness greatly. In our campus, you can usually see foreign scholars give lectures for us often.
Now I would like to introduce our special cultivation project, called as international engineering management class. International engineering management class is actually a platform of double degrees. In 2011, the Ministry of Education approved 2 pilot units of double degrees, and one is Jilin Jianzhu University. Why were we approved as one? That is because our international engineering management class has mature practice. This class started from 1992, targeting at undergraduates of civil engineering type, because at that time, there is no other major and all 8 to 9 majors are civil engineering type. It is the first degree, if the students still have the energy and time, they can study the second degree, which is management degree. The real study content is international engineering contract, aiming at solving the problem of walking out of China’s engineering construction but not integrating with the international engineering management rules. During the 20 years, this class has obtained good social achievement, is also a talents cultivation highland of our university. As a normal provincial undergraduate university, our pilot cultivation of cutting-edge talents is realized in this class. Moreover, this class cultivates international talents, who have international angle and the ability of engaging in international engineering management.
I want to talk about some main specific measures here:
Firstly, it is the student source. How do we select our students? It is the education reform project of cutting-edge talents; therefore, its selection is relatively strict. Our school recruits about 4,000 undergraduate each year, among them, about more than 2,000 have the background of civil engineering, and among the 2,000, choose 60 students according to their English level. This English exam includes both written exam and interview. The interview is carried out by foreign experts, not linguistic experts to test their language. The practice shows that if the students’ English is good enough, all of their others study is not bad too. It is just such a platform.
Secondly, we adopt practical project responsible person system. Neither the teaching affairs management department of the school nor the college will interfere in the specific business, but just provide service and hardware support.
Thirdly, it is the team construction. The project responsible person is Professor Li Mingzhao. He not only has strong professional level, but also is proficient in English. He once did English dubbing for movies, besides he also have 10 years’ experience of overseas engineering construction. All other staff of this project comes from different disciplines of civil engineering type. They all have one common characteristic is that they are equipped with relatively high English level, because this platform, this class requires all core curriculums to be taught in English, and normal curriculums to be taught in both English and Chinese.
Other conditions of our university are relatively simple, just provide RMB 400,000 project operation funds and equip them with hardware. The salary of those teachers who adopt English teaching or bilingual teaching is doubled, which plays a strong stimulation role too. As for this team, our school support the reform on teaching content and teaching method put forward by them completely. All these support are beyond the operation funds.
In recent years, this education reform platform, this teaching team has high strong conscientiousness. After the Belt and Road policy or strategy was put forward, they conscientiously connect their teaching with the Belt and Road in the teaching process. At present, they just target at the talents needs of those large architectural enterprises for waking out. And the talents they cultivated now are very popular.
Fourthly, positive integration into the Belt and Road just represents one attitude of our university. In the Belt and Road strategy of the state, as for the location of Jilin provinces, the state positions it as the hub for opening to the north. This is Jilin province, its strategic point to integrate into the Belt and Road. Jilin province is making efforts to integrate Chang Ji Tu strategy and Northeast Asia region opening and cooperation strategy into the Belt and Road strategy. Currently, the specific project implemented is to build the channel of “Silk Road Jilin”, with railway, road, port and other infrastructures. As the only architectural university in Jilin province, we are integrating positively and are deepening the integration, and playing our role. We want to further play our role as well as improve ourselves while playing our role well.
This time, we are very honored that we can participate in the Belt and Road Architectural Universities Consortium. Representing my university, I also want to express that we will abide by the chapters of the Consortium, follow the arrangement of the Consortium, and take part in various teaching and scientific research activities of the Consortium, and exert our advantages well. As the president mentioned just now, 1+1+1＞N, I wish we can show the joint power. Our school, as an individual, integrating into the consortium, is small, however, if all of us cooperate, our power will be totally different. As for the specific work in the future foreign exchange and cooperation, in talents cultivation, in scientific research, especially in cultural exchange, we will get closer to the Belt and Road strategy, and integrate into development strategy of the Belt and Road actively though we were weak in awareness of cultural exchange previously. We just keep up with such a great age, the Belt and Road is the powerful voice of the age, and if we does not devote in soul and heart, we will lag behind this age.
All in all, the Belt and Road strategy provides a broad stage for the construction and development of architectural universities, the Belt and Road Architectural Universities Consortium establishes a platform for deepening international cooperation and exchange for architectural universities. Let us make new larger contribution in serving national strategic needs, serving national development, and realizing the Belt and Road mutual benefit. Thanks!
(Compiled according to the shorthand record at the conference)
