A warm greeting to you all. My congratulations to the opening of this forum on general education by the Xi’an Eurasia University and thank you for having me here. I learned a lot from the professors here. Quite luckily, I had good learning environments starting from kindergarten. Recently I was able to get involved in an innovative university and pursue innovation in different ways. Just like the forum today, these opportunities give me an all-around experience and understanding of education. It’s fair to say I not only received education in this say, but also an education about education itself. I started to realize that, if a student starts to understand education itself, then they will belief deeper in education, and even take a step further to shape their own education.

“Freshman” forever

Six months ago, I was studying in Berlin. As you might know, my university encourages a “roaming” learning style, where you live in one city in each semester. One day I had a scheduled video call with Shuhan, the “breezy-looking” boy in this slide. He is one year younger than me. He came from Chongqing and was admitted to Deep Springs College in 2014. He graduated in 2016 from their two-year program. Students usually continue their junior and senior years in other universities, and many went for the Ivy League. But Shuhan went to St. John’s College, a small liberal arts college with its own education system, which means he has to start as a freshman again. 

I clearly remember that day over the video call he happily shared the news about his enrollment, saying he would start from freshman again. Trying to comfort him I said jokingly how I label myself a “lifetime junior” and an expert “repeater”, which was intended to be self-mockery. But Shuhan replied quite seriously: “How wonderful is that. Freshman forever.”

“Freshman forever.” This struck me hard. In essence, I value the efficiency and speed of accumulating knowledge. I subconsciously believe that focusing on completing one stage is a way to “start a new chapter” better. This gives you a better starting position in things considered more important. Shuhan, however, cares more about learning itself，and enjoys the long-term pleasure of learning. Today, the “freshmen” days in most universities focus on general education. He’s always filled with curiosity and always value the power of general education.

We got in touch the other day through WeChat. He told me he joined Serve for China as a “maker”. Now he is at the heart of west Hunan province delivering a “rural entrepreneurship” program in a small village. Again, he becomes are “freshman”, this time in social service and social learning.

To continue with this example, let me briefly introduce the universities I mentioned earlier.

The three dimensions of general education

The first dimension: transfer of knowledge. Reading and exploration.

St. John’s College. St. John’s College is the third oldest liberal arts college in the United States. It builds its education around reading and discussion. According to its official website, “at St. John’s College, reading great books and discussion is at the core of its unique general education. From round-table discussion at seminars to discussion beyond the classroom, students are part of the body of knowledge, and they invest their efforts in their own education. Inspired by the wisdom of western classics, students motivate themselves to think deeply, debate freely, and live passionately, before bringing this passion on to the world once they graduate.

The four-year undergraduate program requires students to read and research the greatest works that had profoundly influenced Western civilization, starting from the Iliad by Homer in the first year. In addition to literature and philosophy, mentoring and discussion are essential parts of mathematics, writing and foreign language classes throughout the four-year program, the three-year laboratory program, and the two-year music tutorial program. This College discourages students to study for higher grades, therefore it does not provide a transcript unless requested.

I got to know this college because of Shuhan, although its education system has been around for a very long time. Let’s think about the endless and wonderful dialogues in Republic by Plato, where Socrates search for the truth in questioning and reasoning. This is Greek education in its primal form.It is exactly through this kind of transfer of knowledge that Aristotle proposed the idea of liberal education. He believed that liberal education is not directed to pragmatism nor demand, but to freedom of the mind. 

The first dimension of general education, therefore, is the transfer of knowledge. Reading classics and engaging in dialogues has been an age-old way of sharing ideas and transmitting energy between people. General education based on reading and discussion does not have a specific target, but it serves a great purpose. 

To me, St. John’s College represents many traditional institutions of higher education with a rich heritage, which has a deeper and more focused general education in terms of knowledge transfer. Individual disciplines and skill sets are constantly evolving. They have a reciprocal relationship with the society and they focus on instructing about “practice”. Whereas general education aims to transfer and pass on knowledge to enrich one’s spiritual world and provide guidance on “living”.

The second dimension: self-cultivation. Isolation and labor.

A year and a half ago when I was in San Fransisco, I talked to Shuhan and decided to have a campus tour at Deep Springs College. It took some time before his request was approved and my itinerary was officially registered at the college. But it turns out that it takes 8 hours by car from San Fransisco to Deep Springs. So, I had to cancel the visit due to time and safety considerations. 

Deep Springs has no springs. There are only a rance and about less than 40 people, including students and faculty. It is located deep in the desert between California and Nevada and takes an hour drive to the nearest town. Now at its centennial anniversary, the Deep Springs College program is built upon three pillars: academics, manual labor and self-governance. Besides attending seminars under the general education system, students spend time on labor. They have to work no less than 20 hours per week. Those in charge of milking has to get up at four in the morning. As Lucien L Nunn, founder of the college put it, what is the use of reading Plato if you don’t even know how to milk? In Deep Springs, self-governance is a key element of education. Students handle a variety of matters ranging from enrollment and internal affairs to community development.

Let me share a short paragraph written by Shuhan after he graduated from the College. It goes like this:

Before I figured out my departure and arrival, Deep Springs has already become a story of the past. Like all explorers would do after their great adventures, I would from time to time rewind and revisit the stories over these two years, trying to piece together the wonderment I used to have, which will serve as a reminder of my presence here. I used to brag about the horses I have ridden, the cattle I have raised, the pigs I have slaughtered, the weeds I have scraped. I used to talk about how I broke open a frozen cellar entrance in the depth of winter and how I dug a trench, tens of meters long, under the scorching sun in September. When I am alone, I would remember the Socratic dialogues I used to read every afternoon and the dark green colors of the alfalfa farm seen from my window. I would remember all the rituals so mysterious to the point that it resembles a religion. I would remember the full moon having over the sand dunes. I would remember the many empty and humdrum moments there.

I wonder what you feel after reading this. Personally, I was deeply moved. Although not able to visit Deep Springs in person, I seem to see a young man right there, pondering about the universe, searching for the meaning of the self, enduring solitude, and working arduously as if a hermit practicing self-cultivation deep in a closed, tranquil valley. According to its president, Deep Springs is the most secluded institution of higher education. He also argues that the significance of liberal arts education does not lie in the practical skills it imparts, but more in the liberalization and perfection of the human mind. Deep Springs has always rejected “mediocre practices” and “earthly pursuit”.

The Deep Springs model is not really unusual. It represents the second dimension of general education: self-cultivation. General education places importance on high levels of self-awareness and self-perfection. Compared with the first dimension, transfer of knowledge, there is an added sense of duty among individuals. Self-governance builds community awareness. Manual labor cultivates commitment. The independence and solitude of being in the wild is a perfect way for self-cultivation. Many such “idyllic” universities do exist in the world. They are characterized by the practice of general education over and above pragmatism in order to cultivate pure and genuine personalities.

The third dimension: actualization. Exploration and action.

The third university I would like to share is the Minerva Schools I attend. This is an innovative university. In the words of Professor Stephen Kosslyn, founding Dean of Minerva, “the Minerva curriculum focuses on ‘practical knowledge’ (knowledge students can use to adapt to a changing world); its pedagogy is based on scientific research on learning; it uses a novel technology platform to deliver small seminars in real time; and it offers a hybrid residential model where students live together, rotating through seven cities around the world.” Minerva equips students with the cognitive tools that are essential for their success after graduation, which fosters the core abilities of critical thinking, innovation, as well as effective communication and interaction.

The keywords here are practical knowledge, cognitive tools, core abilities, and international living.

I was in Argentina during the last semester. During the day, I would sit in a cafe writing, do some reading and go to classes in the afternoon, and go jogging in the park or gym in the early evening. Very often, I visited museums, art galleries and local markets, tried out good restaurants. I even used to buy food using the Spanish I just learned. I applied for student’s visa at a very inefficient immigration office. I discussed proposals at an e-commerce firm. I observed a surgery performed at the top hospital. I experienced dancing tango with my eyes closed in a tango classroom. I listened to talks by officials of the Education Ministry about education in Argentina and the issues it faces. I watch citizens going on a demonstration in the streets...

It is fair to say every day is a reminder to me about the vast diversity of this world. It is more than the “vastness” described in our textbooks, and certainly not as “miraculous” as what we imagine. I should say, my university allows its students to live in the moment. 

Minerva is a pioneering university. A pioneer is the one that takes lead. It seems so eager to show the world to its students, encourage them to know the world, and hope they can gain a foothold in the world as early as possible. Together with other pioneering universities, Minerva represents the third dimension of general education: actualization, or reality. Exploration and action make general education. Once without the ivory tower or the deep valley, can a young person find their own world?

In this dimension, I believe the most important mindset in today’s world is: Do not belittle earthly pursuits, and never exclude reality. It might be too pathetic if education is provided on the premise that “being practical is pathetic”. On the other hand, today’s education must be proactive, always taking a step ahead of the reality. We should encourage students to proactively position and prepare themselves before reality kicks in.

Commonalities and imperfection

St. John’s College, over three centuries. Deep Springs, a century. Minerva, five years. The three of them represent the three dimensions of general education. Using these three examples does not mean they are the best, but because of their commonalities. 

First, they are simple and unworldly. Universities can be too heavy to handle: the state, elites, politics, power, responsibility ... these words are so tightly tied to universities. But these three institutions are so unsophisticated in this regard, content to have low “rate of return” and extended “payback period” in terms of education. Reading classics, self-cultivation, achieve one’s own potentials—their mission statements are as candid as the most innocent kids can be. In addition, general education is not just a stage in life. It is about a constant state of life, which is linked to the ultimate form of innocence. 

Second, they are unique. St. John’s, Deep Springs and Minerva. If you look carefully, you will see none of them is large comprehensive education systems. Instead, they stick to their own education model and systematically explore all the possibilities within this model. They are not large scale either. Rather, they are all small and streamlined. Today in China, there’s no lack of top-notch universities in terms of comprehensive strength. But we do lack universities with an independent personality and clear educational goals. We need universities for the public, and we also need schools designed for a selected few. The innovation of universities fosters innovative youngsters, which will gradually bring about an innovative culture. I believe one day we will be able to realize that serving a selected subset ultimately serves the general public. In the best of times, a student’s need for education should be based on human nature, not personal interest. Finding a niche by one’s own intuitive choice will become a trend in selecting the best education.

A perfect university is nonexistent in the world. A perfect university is found in the entire process of an individual’s development. The right education is the best education.

Thoughts about study touring: integration of knowledge and action

Finally, I would like to share my thoughts about “study touring”. Looking at my own personal education background, I would like to ask: is study touring the only way to achieve the integration of knowledge and action?

What does a classical study tour look like? In 335 BC, Aristotle established a school in Lyceum, Athens, where there was a grove lined with avenues. There, Aristotle liked to walk with his students while having lectures and discussions. People later called this school and his philosophy as the “Peripatetic” school, which means walking in ancient Greek. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period of China, ancient philosophers like Confucius and Mozi would put their lives at risk in search of knowledge across borders. How about the contemporary period? The concept of “grand tours” emerged during the seventeen and eighteenth century in the UK, where young and affluent aristocrats toured around the European continent. Besides great food and shopping sprees, more important for them was the continental arts and cultural experience. At that time in the Qing-dynasty China, the royal family indulged themselves in studying everything from etiquette, music, horse riding and archery, to string instruments, games of go, calligraphy, and painting. In the margins of busy learning schedules, they need to cultivate their virtues by touring in the great nature.

The core philosophy of study touring is the oneness of knowledge and action. It is a kind of general education that combines one’s knowledge and their touring, each complimenting the other. It is also a combination of knowledge and action through experiencing and influencing the reality. 

In the past, in order to perfect one’s virtues and achieve freedom of the mind, and further to be enlightened in state affairs, study touring is limited to the aristocracy. So, classical study touring was limited by physical conditions, while modern ones were limited by class and money. Today, the world is different. Young people can arrange their overseas studies more freely and effectively. We can achieve higher efficiency with lower cost, which turns the arduous quests in the past into something that can be realized systematically. In other words, we can now redefine study touring, which used to be shaped by universities and markets.

Target vs. orientation

Short term vs. long term

Individual vs. community

Today, study tours have specific pragmatic features and goals, and are short-term activities designed by resources invested by individual students. Great universities usually provide a long list of projects. In some cases, they arrange field investigations based on course design. Study touring has not yet become an important element in the system of education. Today, structured, periodic and group-oriented study tours could become a part of general education, which will help students identify educational resources that fit themselves.

This takes us back to the theme of our discussion today, which is general education. I always think of Shuhan’s words: “How lucky! Freshman forever.” Do we want to rush through the senior year, or rather stay as a freshman forever? This is a question that I, an “expert junior”, often ponder.

Thank you very much.