On the afternoon of December 14th, 2023, the School of Foreign Studies (SFS) of Jiangnan University held an online conference for all postgraduate tutors. The conference was chaired by Xie Jingxian, the Vice Dean of SFS, who is in charge of the education for postgraduates. Other postgraduate tutors also attended this conference.
At the beginning of the conference, Xie Jingxian briefed the tutors on the recent visit to SFS by Ma Xin, a member of the Standing Committee of CPC JNU Committee and the vice president of JNU. During the visit, the leaders gave presentations on various topics related to SFS’ overall situation, the cultivation model, and development bottlenecks. Other members of the leadership team shared their insights on scientific research innovation, training programs, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Wu Xiaojun, the Dean of Jiangnan University Graduate School, and others offered guidance and suggestions on addressing current challenges and difficulties faced by SFS, expressing their willingness to support the development and construction of SFS. They encouraged SFS to seize opportunities and strive for innovative development in areas such as SFS’ culture and academic disciplines. Ma Xin praised the contributions made by SFS to supporting the strategic development and talent cultivation of the university. He encouraged the leadership team of SFS to overcome obstacles, and move forward with determination. Ma emphasized that postgraduate education was crucial to SFS and served as a “shoulder pole” and driving force in the development of SFS. It connected scientific research and discipline construction, moral education and character building, and faculty teams and student teams. He expected SFS to adhere to a problem-oriented approach and expand the internal optimization of resources, uphold integrity while innovating and collaborating across disciplines, and have a global perspective, seize opportunities for transformation and tell compelling stories about China. He expressed his expectations for significant progress in postgraduate education made by SFS, and looked forward to witnessing SFS fostering its own unique characteristics and showcasing Jiangnan University’s style.
Subsequently, the conference focused on potential issues in pre-defense and put forward some corresponding solutions. After a heated discussion, the tutors fully acknowledged the significant importance of pre-defense in promptly identifying problems within students’ papers and providing more effective support for them. Ultimately, all the tutors unanimously acknowledged that the quality of a research paper is of paramount importance. The purpose of the pre-defense is to assist students in identifying any problems that may arise within their paper and to strictly monitor the process in order to guarantee that the paper meets high standards of quality.
Finally, a training school in the second half of 2023 for tutors was held. The tutors studied documents, such as “Learning Materials on Teachers’ Ideological and Political Education and Construction of Ethics and Professional Conduct”, “President Xi’s Speeches at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development”. They also watched a series of micro-videos titled “The Spirit of Great Educators in My Heart” and exchanged their learning experiences afterward. Teachers unanimously expressed that as graduate tutors, they should continuously learn from great educators, embracing their ideas of selflessness and dedication to the nation, as well as their exemplary moral conduct of speaking as scholars and acting as role models. They should also imbibe the wisdom of enlightening students’ minds and adapt their teaching methods to suit every student’s learning needs. They should learn the attitudes of diligent learning, truth seeking, and innovative mindset. Moreover, they should possess a loving disposition towards teaching and a willingness to wholeheartedly contribute. They should have a broad perspective, pursuing the knowledge cultivation of people, thus truly fulfilling the mission of nurturing talents in the next generation for the CPC and China.
In conclusion, Xie Jingxian summarized the meeting and shared several hopes that she would like to encourage all tutors to adhere to the guidance of academic leadership and improve graduate education on all fronts, dedicate themselves to scientific research and innovation and serve national strategy, devote themselves to teaching innovation and strengthen curriculum construction, practice moral education and be exemplary teachers for students in their pursuit of studies, careers, and personal development. She urged tutors to take this conference as an opportunity to further clarify the direction of graduate work in the future and firmly promote the overall improvement of the school’s graduate education.
