大学教育

What are the main tasks of universities:to offer students knowledge and skills essential for their future career, or to provide students with access to knowledge itself? What do you think university education should contain?

As we have stepped into the information age, we are expected to master more skills and knowledge in order to cope with the challenges in modern society. The main tasks of universities, the highest educational institutions in most countries, has become a much-discussed topic in general public. In my opinion, universities should be a place where students can not only learn the knowledge from professions, but also be taught how to access them by themselves. There is an old saying in China: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. So offering student knowledge and skills only could not meet diversified needs perfectly. However, mastering the access to knowledge could benefit individuals lifelong. In this aspect, universities should focus more on providing learning conditions that encourage students to remain curious, to value diversity in opinions and perspectives. In this way, students can gain problem-solving experience and confidence.

Further more, although the knowledge and skills for future career are necessary for students, but universities will never attain their great goals if they tailor all their courses or programs to meet the needs of specific employers or occupational sectors. Today’s social environment is more complicate and dynamic than ever before. Only those who possess certain personality traits and can do well in diversified situations can distinguish themselves from other job applicants.

To sum up, to meet the trend of the times, the university education should contain amply opportunities for independent learning and cultivate the ability to study continuously and independently which can encourage people to adapt to the changing society. In a word, providing students with access to knowledge itself is the core of university education.