Peking University, Sept. 19, 2011:This year sees the 10th anniversary of the birth of PKU Yuanpei Program，which is famous for its general education for undergraduates, self-selection of majors and inter-disciplinary construction. On the afternoon of Sept.14th, 2011, the celebration for the 10th anniversary of Yuanpei Progam, namely, the forum on undergraduate education reform was held in Sunshine Hall, PKU Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center. Leaders from PKU and several other universities attended the celebration. Prof. Wang Enge, PKU vice president, presided at it.
Celebration for the 10th anniversary of Yuanpei
In an effort to build a world-class university, PKU launched Yuanpei Program and Yuanpei College to meet the requirement of development in the new period, which turns out to be a successful exploration in the course of establishing a new talent-training mode of modernization, of the world and of the future . The reform program is named after one of PKU's most revered presidents Cai Yuanpei, following the principles of "freedom of thoughts, and an all-embracing attitude". It promotes the reform on undergraduate education, and draws on the experience of world-class universities, aiming to set up a practical training pattern and management system to better reach PKU's goals of talents training. In September 2001, PKU launched Yuanpei Program Commission, Yuanpei Program Executive Board and Yuanpei experimental class. In September 2007, Yuanpei College was established on the basis of Yuanpei experimental class, marking that the reform in undergraduate education of Peking University had come to a new stage.
Prof. Xu Chongren, Dean of Yuanpei College, gave a brief and panoramic report of the history of Yuanpei Program. He Ziliang, one donor of Yuanpei College and representative of the Hong Kong S.H. Ho Foundation, Prof. Chen Shiyi, dean of PKU Graduate School as well as PKU College of Engineering, gave speeches respectively, expressing their feelings of Yuanpei College and the hopes for undergraduate education reform.
PKU President Zhou Qifeng at his lecture
PKU vice president Wang Enge at the meeting
Prof. Xu Chongren, Dean of Yuanpei College, at his lecture
Donor He Ziliang, representative of the Hong Kong S.H. Ho Foundation giving a speech
Prof. Chen Shiyi, dean of PKU Graduate School as well as PKU College of Engineering giving a speech
PKU President Zhou Qifeng delivered the address at the 10th anniversary celebration. He spoke highly of the pioneering role Yuanpei College has played in undergraduate education reform and affirmed the principle of "strengthening fundamental studies, weakening attention on a single major, instructing according to one's talent, and differentiating in line with academic fields". He also put forward several measures: to sum up Yuanpei experience, creating a diversified and overall talent training situation; to improve the quality of teaching by modifying the evaluation system for both teachers and students; to combine general education with individual development; to combine innovative ideas with social practice. All these measures should be student-centered.
Yuanpei College, which has reached its 10th birthday with hardships from time to time, not only shows the pioneering spirit of Yuanpei-ers generation after generation, but also becomes the manifestation of PKU spirit. In this new era, Yuanpei College is going to further promote the reform of undergraduate education. All hopes and ideals are on the way.
Extended reading: Pilot project: a decade on
Written by: Zhang Hao
Edited by: Cao Yixing
Source: PKU News(Chinese)
