Will the Launch of Yenching Academy Help China Influence Global Education？

　　Peking University (PKU) is set to launch Yenching Academy next fall， an affiliated school that offers a master’s degree in China studies. Students will be enrolled from home and abroad through open recruitment， with the first 100 expected to arrive in September 2015. The Sinology courses offered will include philosophy and religion， literature， culture， public policies and economics. The term of study will be one to three years for international students and two years for Chinese students. Lecturers will be from a host of established scholars of both PKU and foreign academic institutions.

　　The move has aroused controversy. Some believe such an academy can help further increase the influence of Chinese culture in the world， while others wonder whether it’s just another way for the privileged academic elite to fluff their resume.

　　Con

　　Tang Xiaofeng

　　China Youth Daily

　　The first semester of Yenching Academy plans to recruit 65 overseas students and 20 top international visiting professors will be invited next year. That would ensure foreign professors blending into Chinese academic society and contributing to the nation’s intellectual development.

　　In modern history， many foreign scholars came to China and made important contributions. For example， German-American geologist Amadeus William Grabau (1870-1946)， who is buried at the PKU campus， fostered the growth of a group of geology scholars and made huge contributions to China’s geological studies during his more than 20 years’ work in the country. However， presently， some foreign professors give lectures with little connection to Chinese academic studies.

　　To boost national academic research， foreign experts are expected to have more interactions with Chinese professors and bring with them new topics of research or insights. PKU should make sure that the professors it recruits have strong abilities in regard to representing Chinese academia. It should not allow mediocre professors to take advantage of their affiliation with PKU simply to burnish their images.

　　Pro

　　Yan Yu

　　21st Century Business Herald

　　Conflicts exist between many of the subjects to be offered in this degree program. According to the course list， apart from pragmatic courses， like economics and management， which aim to cultivate future leaders with a basic knowledge of China， the school will provide courses in Chinese literature， history and philosophy to spread Chinese culture. PKU excels in both its science and liberal arts programs， but the teaching and research of science and liberal arts are on different ends of the academic spectrum. Is it even possible to combine the two different disciplines in one academy？ Many scholars of the arts have pointed out that Chinese literature， history and philosophy courses combined require many years of rigorous study.

　　There could also be linguistic challenges facing the program. If most lectures are to be given in Chinese， it’s far more difficult to recruit foreign students than if English were used. Chinese literature， history and philosophy courses should be taught in Chinese considering the vast language differences， while English is acceptable in teaching pragmatic subjects， like management. These problems should be solved before the launch of Yenching Academy.

　　Pro

　　Cheng Fangping

　　China Education Daily

　　As both a university professor and an onlooker of this debate， I think PKU’s establishment of Yenching Academy represents its innovation and commitment to leading in education. As the national center of Chinese studies and research， the university boasts a large number of professors and scholars in many related areas and should play a leading role in guiding the study of China both at home and abroad. Indeed， PKU has already attempted to break institutional obstacles.

　　However， PKU administrators initially failed to give teachers and students their say in the decision-making process， giving rise to disputes over a number of issues such as locating the academy at a cultural heritage site， launching the Chinese studies course in only one year and giving lessons in Chinese culture in English. Fortunately， they later made an active response to the faculty and students’ opposition and allowed them to voice their opinions on the program. Based on in-depth discussions， PKU adjusted the program by changing the location of the academy， adopting a flexible schedule of study for international students， and deciding to use both English and Chinese as teaching languages.

　　I’m glad to see the changes. The disputes regarding PKU have drawn public attention to the management and decision-making norms at universities. University administrators should take into consideration teachers and students’ opinions when making choices that affect the school， rather than holding the perception that anything can be done with adequate funding. They should bear in mind that teachers and students are the main driving force behind a school’s success and reform needs support from the academic public.

　　At a time when reform and development remain the most important missions for Chinese universities， a rational and transparent decision-making process is crucial. It shows respect for teachers and students and exemplifies the erudition of a contemporary university.

　　Pro

　　Baima Caotian

　　Xinjiang Daily

　　As we can see， PKU tends to recruit more foreign than Chinese students. Why is that？ We cannot deny the significant influence of social elites on entire society. Meanwhile， outstanding students from outside China who will gather at PKU through this program， will build their knowledge and understanding of Chinese culture and the Chinese system and will pass that on to the rest of the world. This is the real significance of Yenching Academy.

　　The six courses are all closely related to China’s national conditions， ranging from Chinese culture and history to the current policies and political system. Sinology courses can help the world know more about China， and the one-year program can be more appropriately interpreted as a channel to spread culture， which also meets the needs of other countries. Understanding is the prerequisite and foundation of cooperation. As the representative of Chinese humanistic education， PKU has to assume the responsibility of spreading the culture and promoting Sino-Western communication.

　　Con

　　Tu Jianmin

　　Hangzhou Daily

　　In my opinion， the disputes are not about whether Yenching Academy should be set up， but rather about the transparency of this program. How can PKU operate and manage the school in a more public-oriented manner？ Is this just another place for the privileged？

　　Regarded as the holy land in Chinese education， PKU has laudable goals in creating Yenching Academy. However， this program， which demands huge investment and whose goal is to “cultivate international leaders who will make a difference in the world，” appears to be more a luxury degree factory than an academy. Though the university has said it sought opinions on this issue from its students and teachers many times， doubts still remain.

　　PKU has already attained a sterling reputation and international prestige. Is it really necessary to set up an additional academy？ Whose Yenching Academy will it be？

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