Cross-cultural Dialogue, Issue 19

Author: Yue Daiyun, Qian Lin, et al. (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: University education and the university spirit are fundamental to mitigating human crises and building a harmonious society today, as the representatives who will shape tomorrow's world are produced from today's universities. This issue further introduces the educational philosophy of Morin. Morin believes that the focus of educational reform lies in the reform of thinking methods, specifically establishing a complex thinking mode, and subsequently conducting comprehensive social transformation. This is because the continuous fragmentation of knowledge and the increasingly severe imbalance and isolation between regions make it difficult for people to unite to address major crises. In Calam's article, it is further proposed that the primary duty of the university is not to educate students on how to adapt to future society—as if history has already been written in advance—but rather to cultivate students' ability to engage with the world, create the world, manage various relationships, and carry out necessary changes. Chen Lichuan further argues that the unconditional nature of the university lies in the right to question everything, including the value and truth of the questions themselves, that is, to ask without any restrictions. This is the reason for the existence of the university and an inescapable responsibility. Luo Gang's article reinterprets the educational philosophy of Cai Yuanpei under the current context, delving into the paradox between "the ideal of the university" and "the ideal of the nation." Other articles discussing current issues in university education are also equally compelling.