The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 437: Professors running the school?

money!?

Liu Tao laughed immediately.

Panshan Group is short of money, but what it lacks is big money, not small money.

The construction cost and annual operating expenses of "Southwest Associated University" can be covered by the huge Panshan Group with just a little squeeze every year.

But Liu Tao was even happier. The fact that Yang Zhenning could consider so much showed that he was very dedicated to rebuilding "Southwest Associated University".

"Professor Yang, please don't worry about the money issue. We have already designated the campus of Southwest Associated University, which is 6000 acres and is located right next to Dianchi Lake. Yunnan Province will build a university town around Dianchi Lake, with Southwest Associated University as the center, to form a group of universities and research institutions, and it will become another university and research center in China," Liu Tao introduced.

"The construction cost of Southwest Associated University is RMB 10 billion, and the annual cost will not be less than RMB 1 million, depending on the actual situation each year." Liu Tao said slowly: "Southwest Associated University is managed by our Panshan Group, and it belongs to our Panshan Group, not the Provincial Department of Education or the Ministry of Education. The higher-ups attach great importance to the reconstruction of Southwest Associated University and allow it to be run by professors. They will not interfere with Southwest Associated University easily!"

"Professors running the school? The country provides such great support?" Yang Zhenning was shocked.

The two university management models, professorial governance and board of directors governance, exist in Europe and the United States.

But as far as Yang Zhenning knows, in China, the party leads everything. In universities, the president, senior party officials, vice presidents, etc. can actually be said to be state officials. Even the president has to listen to the senior party officials.

"Does the domestic education community now also know about professors running schools?" Yang Zhenning couldn't help but ask.

Germany is the birthplace of modern universities. It gave birth to the first university in the modern sense - the University of Berlin. It also established many systems that have a profound impact on the operation of modern universities, including the university teaching management system of "professors running the school".

Under Germany's "professor-run school" system, there are very few professors and they are lifelong. Professors have a high status and great power in universities, and they also have a high social status.

Under such a system, professors have played a huge role in Germany's university construction, scientific research advancement, and technological development.

"Professor governance" has also been practiced in China. It was first seen in Peking University during Cai Yuanpei's period. It aims to allow all professors to participate in the discussion and decision-making of the school's rules and regulations through the elected review committee. In the mid-20s, in response to the turmoil in the political situation, various universities called for the establishment of a "professor governance" system to resist the invasion of political forces. However, with the end of the Beiyang era, the Jinling National Government at that time adopted a policy of tightening the education sector. Tsinghua, which did not originally belong to the education system, was accepted by the people. Taking advantage of the opportunity of the "change of affiliation and abolition of directors" storm, not only did the "professor governance" that had not been implemented before be determined at the institutional and constitutional level, but also became a model of "professor governance" in the education sector under the leadership of Mei Yiqi, which was in sharp contrast to Peking University, which became "president governance and professor governance" in sync with the National Government after Chiang Menglin took over again. However, after the establishment of the Republic, the education sector was unified.

Liu Tao nodded and said, "Yes, the country is carrying out reform and opening up, and education is also undergoing reform. The Southern University of Science and Technology in Pengcheng was established with donations from Mr. Huo Yingdong in Hong Kong, and it implements the 'school director management'. The country also gave great support to the reconstruction of 'Southwest Associated University', and used 'Southwest Associated University' as a pilot unit for higher education reform to explore reforms in higher education."

"Education is a national event. It is not suitable to be rolled out on a large scale, so as not to cause confusion in education and affect national development. Choosing Southwest Associated University as a pilot reform unit will only be a point for everyone to see clearly. If there are problems, it will not affect the whole country." Liu Tao introduced, "Of course, Professor Yang, you often travel to Europe and the United States. You should also know that Germany's 'professor-run school' has obvious drawbacks today because of its strict system. It has even reached the stage where it has to be reformed. So we can't just copy it."

In Germany, professors are the representatives of "academic figures", and their status is naturally high. Professors in German universities are generally lifelong, and will not be replaced until the professor retires.

Not only that, these professors can enjoy generous treatment and high social status, and are at the top of the German higher education system. They even enjoy the status of "lifelong civil servants". Universities cannot dismiss professors at will. Professors form the university's council, board of directors or academic council, and exercise the school's decision-making power, including the selection of school presidents, which is carried out by these institutions composed of professors.

As the core force of teaching and scientific research in German universities, the main responsibilities of professors include organizing teaching and scientific research activities. Professors are usually the only lecture holders in a certain subject area in Germany, leading the research direction of the entire department, responsible for raising funds, guiding doctoral students, and even taking on the responsibility of hiring teaching and scientific research personnel. As for other people in the university teaching and scientific research system, including lecturers, teaching assistants, students, non-scientific research personnel, etc., they must accept the leadership of professors and work together to complete various school tasks.

The advantages of Germany's "professor-run school" system are obvious, but it also has obvious disadvantages.

For example, as professors themselves enjoy the advantage of "tenure system", some professors, while enjoying this supreme honor, also develop a slack mentality due to lack of pressure. Although most professors cherish this hard-earned title, in the absence of an assessment and elimination mechanism, some professors are still satisfied with the status quo and do not make progress.

For example, for other teachers, due to the limited number of professorships, many talented young scientists do not have the opportunity to show their talents. In German universities, researchers' research work is often controlled by professors, and they can only conduct independent scientific research very late. It is often a feeling of "a daughter-in-law who has waited many years to become a mother-in-law". This system is not conducive to the development of young scholars.

For students, since there are few professors in universities, it is difficult for ordinary students to get the opportunity to receive guidance from professors. Compared with the number of professors, there are many students, and the ratio of students to professors is very high. Students have few opportunities to communicate directly with professors, which is not conducive to the development of academic careers.

Yang Zhenning nodded. He had come into contact with these things before, so he naturally knew the advantages and disadvantages of "professor-run schools".

"Moreover, the 'Southwest Associated University' implemented 'professor governance', which did not mean that the Youth League and the Party organization no longer existed. The Party's leadership over everything could not be shaken. The Youth League and the Party organization were to ensure that the school was consistent with the Party and the country." Liu Tao emphasized, "After the establishment of 'Southwest Associated University', I concurrently served as a senior Party official of the school. Unless it was a major event or necessary, I would not easily interfere with the operation of the school."

Rebuilding the "Southwest Associated University" and implementing the "professor-run school" at the "Southwest Associated University" does not mean copying it completely. Appropriate adjustments should be made where necessary, and strict rules should be enforced where necessary. This can turn the tide at a critical moment.

(End of this chapter)