Culture Volume - Century Lecture Hall

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Preface to the Unexpected Success – Written on the Day of Publishing "The Great Lecture Series" When we decided to create the "Great Lecture Series" program, within the scope of our vision, we couldn't find any models. In other words, there were no successful precedents for bringing academic content directly onto television screens. We simply felt that it was important for the real world to understand academic thinking. In the past half-century, we often prioritized practice over theory, and the frequency at which theory guided life was extremely low. The theories we valued were mostly hasty summaries of recent practices. And anyone who has attended university knows that academic theory is far more than that—it is rich, diverse, colorful, captivating, and even involves dramatic conflicts between different theories. If we brought it to television, at least some readers could step away from the burden of books, lying comfortably in bed, and explore the profound world of theory through modern electronic media.
Thus, after some preparation, our colleagues at Phoenix TV launched the "Great Lecture Series" program in January 2001. At first, we merely believed that bringing academia to television, whether or not anyone watched it, was a virtuous act. Anticipating that such a program might lose the favor of advertisers due to a lack of viewers, ultimately leading to its self-termination, we launched this program with a sense of tragedy. However, we succeeded, which surprised many peers—including many colleagues at Phoenix TV. Our actual audience far exceeded our original expectations, attracting numerous domestic and international students, as well as viewers with a certain knowledge foundation who were always concerned about the fate of the nation. Among them, those who had never attended university could sit on their sofas at home every Saturday and enjoy a free university education. Those working or studying in universities could effortlessly learn about the trends and perspectives of other professors and academic fields without the cumbersome procedures of a library. And those who had already graduated from university could relive their dreams, hearing the earnest words of their former mentors or emerging scholars about the nation and reforms without leaving their homes.