Recently, when Li Zhi, an associate professor at Peking University, entered the campus, he was chased by security guards, as if he was acting out a burlesque. The security guard initially ran and chased, then switched to chasing by bicycle, and it was not until Li Zhi showed his work ID that the security guard left with remorse. This scene is ridiculous. A professor at Peking University entered his workplace and could not pass through the gate smoothly, but had to cross the railing to enter the campus. What's even more ridiculous is that he is even suspected of being a dangerous person by the security guards and is being chased closely. The cause of this burlesque stems from Peking University's implementation of the measure of brushing your face in and out of the campus. However, Professor Li Zhi did not authorize the school to use his facial recognition information, so he was unable to swipe his face through the turnstile smoothly. In turn, the security guards asked him to show his work ID before he could be released. Although Professor Li Zhi believes that facial information is private and is reluctant to disclose it, this has led to the embarrassing situation of being chased by security guards many times. This incident sparked heated discussions and puzzlement among netizens.
It is worth mentioning that many netizens criticized Professor Li Zhi's refusal to use facial recognition to enter and exit the campus. They believe that as a university professor, you should lead by example, follow the rules and regulations, and not ignore them. In their opinion, for the safety of the school and the normal progress of learning, everyone who enters the campus should brush their faces, and unrelated personnel should not enter easily. Since the school requires face brushing, every faculty member should cooperate, otherwise it will not be enough to respect the rules. In this view, the safety of the school is the most important thing, and the learning environment for students can only be guaranteed if the regulations are followed. However, in the face of such accusations, Professor Li Zhi was not convinced, insisting that facial information is personal privacy and should not be disclosed at will. He didn't understand why he, as a professor, had to accept such a "high-quality" requirement. Such controversies inevitably make people wonder whether the management of schools is too complicated, or whether the relationship between schools and society has become unbalanced.
In the past, universities were closely connected to society. People can freely enter and leave university campuses, and universities are also important places for communication from all walks of life. However, since the outbreak of the pandemic, universities have become closed and their doors open to the outside world have been tightly guarded. Although some schools are gradually reopening to the outside world in response to public appeals, there are still many restrictions. Peking University and Tsinghua University, for example, claim to be open to the public, but this is only a formality, and in practice it has not been realized. They are only open by appointment, and visitors still need to go through a series of security checks, scan the code, brush their faces, etc., before they can enter the campus. This is a clear gap from the truly open university that we have in mind. True openness should be non-discriminatory, as long as it is a human being, you can enter the campus freely, without constraints and barriers. However, in reality, this is far from the case, which cannot help but cause dissatisfaction and disappointment.
As a public space in a city, the university should have no doors to lock. Today's universities, however, are closed castles that are not easily accessible to the outside world. It is true that it is important to keep students safe, but around the world, most universities are open and not as cautious as we are at home. In these universities, people can come and go freely, and the flow of academics and resources is smoother. This is very beneficial for both the prosperity and progress of the university. You'll find that security risks are everywhere, and universities around the world are not closed to them. Why are we so worried and nervous in contrast?If you are concerned about security, should you adopt a more refined management plan, such as setting up access control in key facilities, so as to block the entry of outsiders and ensure that the learning and life of teachers and students are not disturbed? Compared with shopping malls, residential areas and parks, the number of universities is not high, and if security is used as an excuse, then the security problems in these places are not more seriousOther public places do a good job of solving safety problems, so why can't universities?The question of whether such an approach has a mind and pattern is worth pondering.
The Ministry of Education issued a notice in July this year to encourage institutions of higher learning, high-tech enterprises, and manufacturing enterprises to open their doors to the public and take the initiative to serve the whole people's learning. As a social resource, the school should have the responsibility to give back to the society, and the campus should also be open to the society. Because of this, Professor Li Zhi refused to cooperate with the school's face-brushing measures on the grounds of protecting personal privacy, and in fact silently closed the school to the school, which is commendable!
In short, the incident of Li Zhi, an associate professor at Peking University, who entered the campus but was chased by security guards, sparked discussions among many netizens. Some agree with the idea of rules and school safety, while others question the rationality of closed schools. As a university, it should be open and should not be a barrier. Keeping students safe is of course important, but looking at the world, how can other universities address this issue?It is undeniable that open universities bring certain challenges, but through refined management, the need for security and openness can be balanced. Behind the closed management of the university, it is worth pondering the role and responsibility of the university in society.