The Seminar on Education and Urban Culture of the 2024 Annual Conference of Tianjin Intelligentsia of Social Science was held on April 7 at Jinnan Campus, Nankai University (NKU), to further implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important speech during his visit to Tianjin, and to provide intellectual and academic support for the development of Tianjin's urban culture and education through academic exchanges and seminars.
The seminar was hosted by the Tianjin Federation of Social Science, Tianjin Municipal Education Commission, and NKU, and organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC NKU Committee, the Research Office of the University History, the School of Journalism and Communication, and the Faculty of History of NKU. Xue Jinwen, Chairman of Tianjin Federation of Social Science and former Director of the CPC NKU Committee, Zhang Yuanlong, former Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of Tianjin Municipal People's Congress, descendant of Mr. Zhang Boling, and advisor to the Tianjin Yan Xiu Research Association and Zhang Boling Research Association, Luo Yan'an, Deputy Director of Tianjin Municipal Education Commission, and Yang Kexin, Executive Deputy Secretary of the CPC NKU Committee, attended the Seminar and delivered speeches. Wang Liwen, Secretary of Party Leadership Group and full-time Vice Chairman of the Tianjin Federation of Social Science, Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, Yuan Shijun, member of the Party Leadership Group and full-time Vice Chairman of the Tianjin Federation of Social Science, Yang Xiangyang, Secretary-General and Director of the Office of the Tianjin Federation of Social Science, and representatives of the relevant fields from Tsinghua University, NKU, Central University of Finance and Economics, Sun Yat-sen University, Tianjin University, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin Museum, and Zhang Boling Research Association, totaling more than 50 people, attended the Seminar. The Seminar was presided by the head of the Faculty of History of the University.
Focusing on education, urban culture, academic and cultural context, Xue Jinwen explained how to promote the diversified development of urban culture and highlight the spirit of urban characteristics. He pointed out that education is an important pillar for the development of the country and the city, which carries the important mission of cultivating talents, inheriting culture, and promoting social progress. The “Gongneng” (Dedication to Public Interests, Acquisition of All-round Capability) education thought put forward by former president Zhang Boling has played an important role in promoting the diversified development of urban culture and strengthening the characteristics and spirituality of the city. Xue believes that it is necessary to provide solid theoretical support for writing chapters of Chinese-style modernization in Tianjin by focusing on social practice, inheriting and carrying forward the essence of Gongneng education thought and patriotic education thought from Zhang Boling and other older generations of educators, giving full play to the discipline advantages, fully integrating the historical and cultural resources, focusing on the central task and serving the overall interests, and understanding the fundamental situations of China.
Starting from the connotation of urban development, Zhang Yuanlong reviewed the 100-year history of NKU and provided ideas and directions on the integration of universities and the city. He pointed out that the education concept, Dedication to Public Interests, Acquisition of All-round Capability, calling for unhesitatingly saving the country and the nation in peril, was put forward at the beginning of the university establishment, which reflects the patriotic feelings of NKU and the spirit of tenacity and unyielding of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. Centering on interpreting the lifelong pursuit of Yan Xiu–always aspire to patriot rather than noble government officials and eminent personages, and that of Zhang Boling–pass down noble morality, not material wealth, he proposed that we should bear in mind the mission and responsibility of cultivating, understanding, and passing down noble morality, carry forward the character of dedication to public interests and acquisition of all-round capability, and show the spirit of intellectuals in the new era.
Luo Yan'an pointed out that this Seminar is to implement the specific measures of the important requirements of the Four Good Deeds and Achievements. It is an academic feast for digging into Tianjin's urban cultural genes and exploring education and urban culture shaping. It will play a very important role in inheriting and developing urban culture, cultivating and nourishing urban civilization, and promoting high-quality development of education. NKU has always been at the forefront of the times, aiming to enhance its capabilities in education and scientific research, deeply explore the rich connotations, spiritual and political values, and contemporary values of urban culture, promote the prosperity of science and education through industrial development, and transform its advantages in science and education into industrial advantages, thereby injecting new vitality into the high-quality development of Tianjin.
Yang Kexin expressed her gratitude to the Tianjin Federation of Social Science for its strong support and high trust in NKU. She said that NKU is an integral part of the Nankai school education system founded by the patriotic educators Yan Xiu and Zhang Boling, and also a significant symbol of the modern urban development of Tianjin. The university and the city accompany and empower each other. Nankai schools uphold the academic purpose of knowing China and serving China, strive for self-improvement and excellence, are deeply rooted in the motherland, and cultivate a large number of outstanding talents managing state affairs with humanities, making the country stronger with science, and making the country wealthier with business studies. They have always kept in line with the process of modernization of Tianjin and also taken serving Tianjin as their important mission, providing strong support for Tianjin's urban development.
Professor Wang Dongjie, Department of History, Tsinghua University
Professor Wang Zhenliang, Ancient Book Protection Research Institute, Tianjin Normal University
Professor Hou Jie, Faculty of History, NKU
Professor Tian Tao, School of History and Culture, Tianjin Normal University
After the opening ceremony, the participating experts delivered keynote speeches. Professor Wang Dongjie, Department of History, Tsinghua University, Professor Wang Zhenliang, Ancient Book Protection Research Institute, Tianjin Normal University, Professor Hou Jie, Faculty of History, NKU, and Professor Tian Tao, School of History and Culture, Tianjin Normal University gave academic presentations themed on Educational Resources, Spatial Relations, and Modern Chinese History, University Development and Tianjin Cultural Transformation, Zhang Boling's 'Gongneng' Education Thought and China's Personality Remodeling, and Zhang Boling and Nankai's Cultural Character, respectively.
This seminar also had breakout sessions. The attending experts shared and exchanged ideas on themes such as University and Urban Culture and Zhang Boling's Thought and Nankai Development.
