On April 18th , Sichuan University held a work plan meeting on the discussion of undergraduate education reform and development in the new era in Duxing Building, Wangjiang Campus. All the university administrators, SCU president assistants, academicians, outstanding professors, specially appointed professors of Changjiang Scholars Program, national outstanding young scholars, and famous teachers at the national and provincial levels; the school teaching steering committee, members of the undergraduate supervisory board at the university and college levels, principal heads of departments and business entities, and representatives of teachers and students attended the meeting. Chairman Jianguo Wang of the university council presided over the meeting.
Vice President Lin Zhang started off the meeting with a work report. The report analyzes the foundation, achievements and status quo of SCU undergraduate education, lists the key links of the reform and development of undergraduate education in the future, and lays out the arrangements to conduct the grand discussion in successive stages. He emphasized that the discussion on upgrading SCU undergraduate education would mainly center on six aspects: first, to stick to moral education and cultivating people during the whole course of education; second, to enhance the effectiveness of ideological and political education by drawing upon the rich humanistic and cultural heritage of Sichuan University; third, to promote inquiry-based deep learning by means of teacher development and intelligent education; fourth, to construct a new SCU undergraduate education based on " interdisciplinary-through " talent cultivation; fifth, to integrate "innovation and entrepreneurship" education into talent cultivation in an all-round way; and sixth, to increase students' global competence.
In his speech, President Yanrong Li pointed out that we should further emancipate the mind, gather consensus and form achievements through the discussion on the reform and development of undergraduate education, focusing on the six key points of President Zhang in his report. At the same time, we should form a consensus regarding the following five points:
First, we need to clarify and understand what the standard of first-class undergraduate education is and what the first-class universities at home and abroad think of first-class undergraduate education. At present, the most important thing for colleges and universities in our country is to cultivate students' independent research ability, which is crucial to being original, in other words, from 0 to 1 ability. Secondly, we should analyze and judge the objectives, orientation and main tasks of talent cultivation in Sichuan University all the way to 2035. On the one hand, we should analyze the main challenges China will face in the next two to three decades in order to know what kind of talents we want to train today. On the other hand, we should learn from the successful experience of first-class universities at home and abroad to formulate talents training objectives that are suitable for the reality of Sichuan University, objectives with SCU characteristics. Third, (the issue) is how to grasp the core curriculum and lay a good foundation for undergraduate talent training in Sichuan University. This reflects the common characteristics and competences of Sichuan University students. At present, the compelling task is to develop core courses of humanities, social sciences, art and nature into real " golden courses ", and then supplement with new engineering disciplines, new medical sciences, new liberal arts, etc. Fourth, we should take it seriously to develop students' ability outside the classroom, enrich and activate the second classroom, comprehensively improve students' critical thinking and expression, communication and writing, opening up students' international horizons. Fifth, on the basis of the above four points, we should further deepen and precisely form the characteristics and originality of the first-class undergraduate education in Sichuan University, especially capitalizing on the advantages of interdisciplinary integration and profound cultural heritage. He emphasized that undergraduate education is the common cause of all faculties and staff. The leaders of colleges and departments should organize faculty and staff to discuss and benchmark the standard of first-class undergraduate school, and analyze the orientation, teaching level, curriculum and teacher teams of their respective majors, consequently raising the undergraduate education to a higher level.
In his closing speech, Chairman Jianguo Wang pointed out that running the best undergraduate education and cultivating first-class talents are the most important work in building a world-class university, which is of great significance to the construction of " double first-class " universities. In order to carry out this great discussion, we should do well in the following four things: First, we should firmly grasp the key points of the grand discussion on the reform and development of undergraduate education, stick to the correct direction of education, and the fundamental task of cultivating people by virtue of moral education and professional competency. Second, we should focus on the core issues and key links of undergraduate education reform and development, and put forward ideas and measures that reflect the characteristics of the new era, and are in line with the law of personnel training and the reality of Sichuan University. Third, we should mobilize the staff of teachers and students to participate in the grand discussion and research, and start a new pattern of people cultivation involving all fronts. Fourth, we should dare to take the responsibility and carry out measures so as to promote the undergraduate education of Sichuan University to a new level. All teachers and staff should have a sense of ownership, cultivate first-class talents with first-class ideology, first-class level and first-class research results, comprehensively promoting the "two greatness" of the university.
The conference would be aired live in different venues in Wangjiang Campus, Jiang'an Campus and West China Campus for the rank and file teachers and students to participate in this six-month grand discussion of undergraduate education reform and development. Next, around the theme of upgrading the undergraduate education in Sichuan University, the whole school will conduct in-depth research and discussion in several stages, and work out a summary report, policy recommendations and action plans for the reform and development of undergraduate education in the new era.
