I Am the President of the University

At night, the moon and stars are sparse, on the campus of Stanford University.

The cool breeze blows, and the San Francisco Bay Area is still a bit chilly at night.

In the office of the president of Stanford University.

Chen Hao sat on a chair and looked away from the night outside the window.

His eyes fell on an elder in front of him. \b

The other person is nearly seventy years old, and his hair is all white, but he gives off a particularly energetic look. Wearing a smart suit, he was writing something with his head bent. The sound of the pen rubbing against the paper was particularly clear in this quiet office.

"Click!"

As the pen and cap are closed.

After the elder tidied the table, he stood up and said apologetically to Chen Hao: "Chen, I kept you waiting for a long time."

"No, no, no, Principal John, your arrival tonight has already caused you a lot of trouble." Chen Hao stood up from his chair and hugged the other party.

John McDonald, the current president of Stanford University, is also known as Stanford's greatest president!

John said unhappily: "Hey, Chen, given my relationship with your teacher, just call me John."

The next second after he finished speaking, he smiled like an old naughty boy and asked: "How does our coffee at Stanford compare to yours at MIT?"

"Is there any need to compare? Of course our coffee at MIT is much better!" Chen Hao said with a wry smile, "If I don't say it well, my teacher will probably start reprimanding me."

"Hahahaha, that old guy Stephen is indeed such a person." John laughed and patted Chen Hao on the shoulder, "Chen, do you mind taking a walk on campus?"

"Oh, who would mind taking a walk with the most popular president of Stanford, right?" Chen Hao said playfully.

"Haha, no wonder Chen Hao is Stephen's favorite student. I want to be your teacher." John said that Chen Hao's American humor was very useful.

The two left the office and took a walk around Stanford's campus.

Although John is the president of Stanford, he was previously the dean of the Department of Computer Science and a well-known computer scientist in the United States. He has a close relationship with Chen Hao's mentor Stephen, and every time Stephen goes to a meeting, he takes him with him. Over time, the relationship between the two also became familiar. \u001c

"Chen, how long will you stay here this time?" John looked at Chen Hao.

"Well, I'll be going back in about three or four days." Chen Hao touched his nose and replied.

"So short?" John couldn't help but frown, "Why don't you stay a few more days?"

"I can't help it. There are too many things at school. I will go home for a day or two tomorrow." Chen Hao shrugged helplessly.

John nodded and said with great agreement: "That's right. Being a principal is not easy."

Seeing Chen Hao's hesitant expression, John couldn't help laughing and said with a smile: "Chen, your endurance still needs to be improved. What do you want to ask for this time? Just ask him directly, Old John knows everything Tell you."

"It's like this. I want to build a new college in our Guanghua University and implement general education, but I've encountered some difficulties." Chen Hao said with a look of embarrassment.

"Oh? This is quite interesting. Tell me what difficulties you encountered?" Hearing Chen Hao's words, John suddenly became interested.

"Is such that……"

Chen Hao came out one by one from beginning to end.

Peking University Yuanpei College can be regarded as a banner that launched the reform of undergraduate education and teaching in this century. It is the earliest and relatively mature model in the reform. \b

Therefore, Chen Hao initially chose to use the Yuanpei model to plan Guanghua College. However, as he gained a deeper understanding of Peking University's Yuanpei model, he discovered that this model had many flaws.

The general education of the beautiful country is designed to allow students to dabble in various fields at the undergraduate level, try various subjects, study both arts and sciences, and finally cultivate all-round elite talents.

The national conditions of each country are different. Peking University Yuanpei did not choose to copy the system of beautiful countries. Instead, on this basis, he developed a talent training model suitable for Peking University.

Unfortunately, looking at it now, it seems to have failed.

"Then what are you thinking now?" John pondered for a moment and asked.

"I seem to have thought the model of this new college a bit too simple, and now I'm a little confused. How should I steer this ship?" Chen Hao was a little confused.

Although there is a system that can check the other party's attribute values, and then save the other party from making detours.

But here comes the problem. Why are the domestic college entrance examinations not divided into arts and sciences? Why are universities exploring new undergraduate education? Professional education cultivates professionals in a certain field, rather than cultivating all-round talents.

If we cultivate the most outstanding aspects of the other party based on the [Insight] skill, isn't this still professional education? This conflicts with his original intention of establishing Guanghua Academy!

He wants a generalist, not a specialist!

But we can’t copy the beautiful country’s system. After all, how many people are in a class in other universities, how many people are in our class?

At present, it is Chinese translation that has encountered problems.

This is also the reason why Chen Hao came to visit John after settling the matters in Silicon Valley.

From the beginning of the 20th century to the present, Stanford University has carried out six large-scale undergraduate education reforms.

In particular, the reform in 2012 was the most extensive and profound, and it established Stanford University’s position in the undergraduate talent training system in one fell swoop.

The person who presided over this reform of undergraduate education was Principal John next to Chen Hao.

John shook his head and smiled, and said in less proficient Chinese: "There is an allusion in "Yanzi Chunqiu Neipian Miscellaneous Part 2". Wang looked at Yanzi and said: "Are the people of Qi really good at stealing? Yanzi avoided the table and said to him: "I heard that oranges grown in Huainan are called tangerines, and those grown in the north of Huaibei are called tangerines. The leaves are similar, but the taste is different." So why? Water and soil are different. Nowadays, people who grow up in Qi do not steal, but when they enter Chu, they steal. Is it true that there is no water and soil in Chu to make the people good at stealing? "

Chen Hao nodded thoughtfully.

This passage is the origin of the idiom "Nan Ju and Bei Zhi".

When Yan Zi was on a mission to Chu, the King of Chu wanted to use the Qi people to steal and humiliate Yan Zi, but Yan Zi used oranges instead. Because they grew in different places, they would eventually change from oranges in the south to mandarin oranges in the north.

The meaning is to ridicule the other party. The people of Qi were all honest in Qi State, but they started stealing when they arrived in Chu State. It was the poor soil and water in Chu State that made people like stealing.

"It is very difficult to figure out a talent training system that suits your school. It is not like Newton's three laws. There is no definition that applies to all schools. There are too many influencing factors." John said with emotion, and reform must have risks. Stanford is able to achieve today's success, but there are also unknown dangers behind it.

Chen Hao understood what John said, but his mind was still a little hazy. He couldn't help but ask: "John, I understand everything you said. Can you give me some advice?"

He didn't have the time to slowly explore and formulate it. \b

The predecessors planted trees, and the descendants enjoy the shade.

Since Stanford can succeed, Old John must have some experience. After coming, he must not leave empty-handed.

"President Richard of Yale University once delivered a speech on "The Role of General Education in the Development of Chinese Education" at the 4th China-foreign University Presidents Forum, criticizing the lack of two very critical factors in Chinese undergraduate education. One is cross-border education. The breadth of disciplines, and the second is the cultivation of critical thinking. "

John obviously has a lot of research on Huaxia education, and pointed out very sharply: "These two points of criticism are very pertinent. I think there are two shortcomings in the current Huaxia undergraduate education. The first shortcoming is that the goal of general education is unclear. What kind of people should education cultivate? The second shortcoming is that the knowledge students learn is fragmented, and critical thinking and action skills cannot be developed.”

Hearing this, Chen Hao's eyes suddenly lit up, he clenched his fists and shouted excitedly: "I understand!"

“Reshaping training goals, breaking down subject barriers, highlighting abilities, and integrating knowledge and action are the directions in which China’s general education should move forward!”

At this moment, the fog in front of his eyes cleared and he found a road of his own.

It is also a suitable road for Guanghua University.

ps: Don’t read the next chapter yet. I haven’t finished it yet and my procrastination has set in. Sorry!