Editor's note: Recently，Academician Tang Tao, President of Guangzhou Southern University, accepted the first all-media group in China，The most influential mainstream financial media in China，It is also an interview with Southern Finance All Media Group, the first ranking comprehensive financial media in Guangdong and even the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area，In the interview, President Tang Tao talked about the path and mission of building a first-class applied university with distinctive characteristics。The report was published on September 27 on platforms such as 21 Finance, Southern Finance Network and 21 Economic Network。The following full text is forwarded:

On September 11, in the twilight of the morning, Guangzhou Nanfang College ushered in its 18th freshman opening ceremony。Tang Tao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of Guangzhou Nanfang University, walked quickly to the stage of the ceremony to teach the "First college lesson" to the class of 2024.。

"After years of continuous exploration and development, Guangzhou Southern College has accumulated rich experience in the training of applied talents。We will strive to build Nanfang University into a first-class, high-level application-oriented university with distinctive characteristics in China, and become a banner of private undergraduate universities。In the attention of the new students, Tang Tao's vision is firm and ambitious。

In fact, Tang Tao officially took office as president of Guangzhou Nanfang College on April 12 this year。This is the third university he has worked in since returning to China. He has served as vice president of Scientific research at Southern University of Science and Technology and President of Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University Joint International College。Different from the first two universities, Southern College is committed to cultivating application-oriented high-level talents who can adapt to social and economic construction and have strong practical ability。

Why academicians join the "private University"？How to build a first-class applied university with distinctive characteristics？What new ideas will Tang Tao's arrival bring to the school？Recently, Southern Finance All Media reporter (hereinafter referred to as "Southern Finance") interviewed Academician Tang Tao, president of Guangzhou Southern College。

"Running a good university is hard work"

Nanfang Finance: This year is the first time for you to start school after your first term as the president of Guangzhou Nanfang College. Are you nervous？

Tang Tao: I can't say I am nervous, because I have been working in the university for more than 30 years, but to be the president of Guangzhou Nanfang University is really a big challenge。

Southern Finance and Economics: What are the main challenges？

Tang Tao: One challenge is perception。Whether private universities can recruit excellent teachers is a big challenge, for example, many of the first choice after doctoral graduation is still public universities。The second challenge is student availability。Many students and parents believe that graduates from public universities are more likely to find jobs than those from private universities。

But in fact, private colleges and universities also have their own place in the higher education system, and many excellent private colleges and universities have become the banner of the diversified development of higher education。The running mechanism of private universities is more flexible, especially in the training of "ready-to-use" talents who can quickly adapt to the needs of social development。For example, Guangzhou Nanfang University has trained more than 60,000 application-oriented talents with strong practical ability and innovative spirit for the society since its inception, and the overall satisfaction rate of employers is as high as 98%。

It takes time for attitudes to change, so private universities need more patience。Under the current circumstances, doing private education is actually a kind of entrepreneurship, which has great challenges。

Southern Finance: Why did you choose to be the principal of Guangzhou Southern College？

Tang Tao: In the past ten years, scientific research has been my main line, and I have been exploring the management ability of higher education. In fact, I really hope to do some work with certain innovation and certain challenges。

Summarizing the experience of Germany and France, we can see that private universities have played an irreplaceable role in their social development and scientific and technological process。For example, Germany's precision instruments and cars do well, which can not be done by scientists alone, which is closely related to their emphasis on training technical talents。For another example, 90% of the top 20 universities in the United States are private universities, and Harvard, MIT, Princeton and Yale are all private and have a high status in the minds of the public。

Therefore, I believe that in the next two decades, private universities are worth exploring. I hope to do some challenging work, mobilize the forces of all parties, and truly run a high-level applied university that serves the industry and local economic and social development。

Southern Finance: The challenge is so big, how to break the bureau to run a good university？

Tang Tao: I think there are two things in this society: one is to run a good hospital, and the other is to run a good university。To run a good university, you need to do something real。In my opinion, excellent teachers, a certain level of scientific research, coupled with a focus on teaching, lay an important foundation for becoming a famous or good university。

A high level university must have a high level of teachers。A very important point in college is the teacher's words and deeds, including how the teacher teaches and how to do scientific research。The second is to have certain scientific research, with scientific research to promote teaching。I think the atmosphere of scientific research is very important. Teachers should be able to reflect their own scientific research in teaching, and lead students to form interest groups and participate in discipline competitions。The third is to focus on teaching and create a good learning environment。Teaching is a life of conscience, and I think teachers who do a good job should be honored。Taking Guangzhou Nanfang University as an example, we will honor 30 to 50 outstanding teachers in teaching and research on Teachers' Day every year。

"There is no rush to clear direction in college"

Southern Finance: What kind of major is a good major？The future will not be replaced by artificial intelligence？

Tang Tao: Forty years ago you had to learn a single trade, and you could earn a living all your life。But times are different now, and it's hard to say which major will be useful in the future。I think we all have a consensus that in the era of artificial intelligence, many professions are facing challenges。

So, I think the most fundamental thing is to solve the problem of what kind of people to cultivate。For example, the goal of private universities such as Guangzhou Nanfang University is to cultivate interdisciplinary high-level talents who can adapt to social and economic construction and have strong practical ability。

Southern Finance: So what do you have in mind for freshmen and seniors？

Tang Tao: What I want to say is that there is no rush to clear the direction at the beginning of college, and there is no need to over-plan。

In my opinion，The most important thing in college is to learn knowledge，Take more common courses and general studies，Cultivate self-learning ability through lectures and lectures，Encounter something new，Know how to learn，This is important for one's future development;The second is to integrate into university life，Join some clubs，Exercise their teamwork skills, communication skills，Let others relate，Willing to cooperate with you;It's also very important to know that，Exercise well。Life is not only one way, life is full of exploration, can play their own strengths, find their own interests, very important。

"Cultivate people who are more popular in the industry"

Southern Finance: You once said, "The market needs practical talents。Some people design airplanes, some people build airplanes ", which task is more urgent in the future？Combined with the current needs of the Greater Bay Area and Guangdong, how will the school train "aircraft manufacturers" in the future?？

Tang Tao: I think both are important. Only by improving the design level of aircraft can we turn it into an industry。But at the same time, there must also be people who fly aircraft and repair aircraft, which is an industrial chain, each link is complementary and interlinked。

Guangdong Province has a lot of science and technology industries, many positions have high requirements for technology, and the demand for applied talents is huge。And private universities can play a very important role in this respect。Because the curriculum design of these universities has done a lot of homework in adapting to the needs of the industry and local economic and social development, with special emphasis on application, students can play a role in the industry as soon as they graduate。

In recent years, Guangzhou Southern University has placed great emphasis on cooperating with the industry to build laboratories, inviting them to the school as laboratories, inviting them to be instructors, and then encouraging and supporting students to go out and practice。Explore some directions, and you can produce people who are more desirable in the industry。

Southern Finance: In terms of training targeted talents, what experience can Guangzhou Southern College share？

Tang Tao: Although we are a very good university in the private university, the basic platform has been built, but how to create a truly excellent professional on this platform and train targeted talents, still need to spend some efforts。Next, what we need to do is to focus on teaching and make teaching more distinctive。

Now is the era of artificial intelligence and big data, talent training mode must keep pace with The Times。For example, our business school has integrated the knowledge of big data and artificial intelligence into its teaching, so that students have the ability of data analysis and the basic ability of artificial intelligence。For another example, with the advent of the aging society, we have set up the Yunkang School of Medicine and Health, as well as the School of Nursing and Health, nursing and general health graduates are in short supply。

We actively build a disciplinary professional system with cross-penetration and coordinated development of management, literature, engineering, economics, medicine, and art, especially engineering, business, and medical sciences that intersect with artificial intelligence and big data。

Southern Finance: You are promoting the "campus aesthetics" program, can you expand on it？

Tang Tao: The beauty of the campus is natural beauty and humanistic beauty。Hardware as long as the heart, relatively easy to achieve。The humanistic beauty of the university aims to mobilize the passion and interest of the students, even the graffiti on the campus can stimulate the students to form a free, open and innovative atmosphere。

The "Campus Aesthetics" program actually wants to emphasize both the "hard power" of school facility upgrading and the "soft power" of campus culture construction, while creating a good campus atmosphere for the implementation of liberal arts education。Next year, Guangzhou Southern College will present a new picture, the library has a new look, the central axis road surface is new and clean, and the green is abundant...I believe that learning in a good environment can imperceptibly affect students' aesthetics and enhance their happiness in campus life。

Source: Southern Finance editor: News Public Relations Office