Finally entered the gate of Tsinghua University.
On the eve of the New Year's Day holiday, Tsinghua University and other colleges and universities announced that they will continue to further promote the orderly opening of campuses and meet the needs of social personnel to enter the campus to a greater extent. After experiencing failed appointments, squatting to grab tickets, and waiting for several days, on January 6, the reporter successfully walked into Tsinghua University on the first Saturday of the first year of 2024 by making a personal appointment.
The opening of university campuses has recently sparked heated discussions. In July last year, the Ministry of Education issued a document encouraging colleges and universities to open their doors to the public, and many colleges and universities responded. This time it has become a topic of conversation again, because at the end of the year and the beginning of the year, colleges and universities represented by Tsinghua University have officially announced the further "opening of the park". Xiong Bingqi, an educationalist and dean of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said in an interview with reporters that how universities open up also needs to ask "whether the society is ready".
In the past few days, the reporter has visited Tsinghua University, Beijing Foreign University, Fudan University, Tongji University, Zhejiang University and other well-known universities. During the visit, I had more thoughts on "openness" and more understanding of people's eagerness for the opening up of universities.
Squatting appointments
Fight hard to enter Tsinghua University
On January 6, at about 8:30 a.m., shortly after the sun rose, the outdoor temperature in Beijing was only minus 3 degrees.
Even so, there are already many people queuing up to take photos at the west gate of Tsinghua University. When the reporter was about to enter the school gate with **, the guard staff shouted that the reserved tourists should follow the sign to the south.
More than ten meters to the south of the West Gate, there is a small gate with passages, fences and access gates, which are obviously specially prepared by Tsinghua University for tourists in order to divert traffic. Following the team, the reporter swiped his ID card and face verification, and successfully passed through the turnstile in less than a minute and entered Tsinghua University!
Tsinghua University has set up a special channel for reserved tourists.
However, there are twists and turns behind the smooth 1 minute.
Although Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University and other universities have successively released news to continue to further promote the orderly opening of campuses and meet the needs of social personnel to enter the campus to a greater extent, an appointment is still required to enter the campus.
At 9:30 a.m. on January 2, when the reporter opened the "Visit Tsinghua" applet, what was unexpected was that the page showed that the two days of January 6 and 7 were "full".
According to the news released by Tsinghua University, starting from the New Year's Day holiday, the school will further expand the scale of campus opening, and increase the number of reservations for public campus visits on holidays and weekends to 1 per dayMore than 20,000 people, an increase of about 50% from the previous year. Fortunately, Tsinghua University has made it clear that new appointments will be opened at 8 a.m. every day. The next day, the reporter entered on time and successfully grabbed a new appointment place.
Since then, the reporter has paid attention to "visiting Tsinghua University" for several days, and found that the total number of reserved places will be released every day exceeds 800. It should be reminded that people with visit plans still need to make an appointment as soon as possible, and the quota will be sold out in one hour, which is very tight.
Ms. Hu and her son from Liaoning were among the tourists who entered the school with reporters that day, and the number of places to visit was also "grabbed by setting an alarm clock". The fourth-grade son had winter vacation, and the mother and son came to Beijing for a tour, and agreed to go to Tsinghua University as the first stop before coming. For this reason, Ms. Hu paid attention to Tsinghua University's opening policy early on, and also did a lot of homework, and started to make appointments a week in advance.
Ms. Hu and her son made an appointment to enter Tsinghua University early in the morning.
Why do you have to come to Tsinghua University? "Taking him to (Tsinghua) to see it also planted a 'seed' in his heart. Ms. Hu's answer represents the voice of almost all parents interviewed by the reporter.
Tsinghua University is one of the top universities in China. For most parents in China, it is an expectation and a wish for their children to become a part of it. Walking on campus, reporters will meet family groups from time to time, and they take photos at Tsinghua Academy and other scenic spots, full of hope for the future. It is true that it is not easy to enter a top university to study, but in the eyes of parents, if they can let their children feel the campus atmosphere more closely and immersively, and plant "seeds" in advance, there may be more possibilities for entering and studying here.
Advance appointment and smart access control are common management modes for serious campus access after the epidemic.
When the reporter visited Beijing University of Foreign Chinese, Beijing Institute of Technology, ** Minzu University, Tongji University and other universities, he felt quite "silky" when he entered the school. It eliminates the need for online and offline appointment approval procedures for those entering the school, and only needs to swipe the ID card at the access control to enter.
At the gates of Fudan University's Handan Campus, there are two exhibition boards: "Notice on Further Adjusting the Management Measures for Entering the School" and "Operation Procedures for Registration of Off-campus Personnel to Enter the School". According to the content of the process, after the reporter pays attention to the school's information office, fills in the personal information and submits it, and then the application code that pops up is the school entry certificate.
"Digitalization" can sometimes become "human culture". Almost on the front and back feet of the reporter, six elderly people who supported each other entered the campus. Considering that they were not familiar with the operation of electronic devices, the security personnel on duty asked them to fill in the relevant information on the paper application form and let them go.
Six elderly people from all over Shanghai came to visit Fudan University and took a group photo on campus.
The six of us were elementary school classmates, and we are all in our 70s now. 76-year-old Huang Changkang pointed to one of the faltering old men and said, "When she was young, she failed to be admitted to Fudan as she wished, and she has always longed for this place." In the past two years, our health has not been very good, so a few of our classmates discussed it and gathered from all over Shanghai on the subway for an hour to accompany her to see Fudan. ”
Behind every university may be a person's dream, and the openness of colleges and universities has allowed these emotions to have a home.
The value of openness is concrete and small
The "Limited Edition" is also full of joy
During the visit, the reporter also found that the opening conditions of some colleges and universities may actually become the first reason why people are "turned away".
For example, booking a place in advance means that the opening is "limited". The popularity of appointments for visits to Peking University has exceeded expectations. Because he could not get the reservation quota and did not have an "admission ticket", the reporter lost the opportunity to explore Peking University.
The time was pulled back to 8:14 on January 2, the first day of work after the long holiday, the reporter opened the "Visit Peking University" to apply for an appointment, and the first article of the "Visiting Instructions" that automatically popped up stated that "you can make an online appointment 7 days in advance, and the new reservation quota is open at 8 o'clock every day", but then the appointment page that jumped showed that the morning and afternoon of January 6 and 7 were "full".
At 8:14 on January 2, the first day of work after the long holiday, the reporter opened the "Visit Peking University" to apply for an appointment, and the appointment page showed that the morning and afternoon of January 6 and 7 were "full".
The next day, the reporter stayed by his mobile phone in advance, and called a friend for help, and the posture was comparable to grabbing tickets for a popular concert. As a result, by 8 o'clock, it was still "expired". Unwilling to do this, I heard that it was possible to open appointments in the middle of the night, and the reporter even squatted at 0:00, but for 4 consecutive days, he never grabbed the appointment place.
Is it a Mini Program problem? Or are there too few reservations? The reporter called the duty room of the security department of Peking University with questions. In this regard, the staff said that the mini program was not developed by the Ministry of Security, and would give feedback on the problem, "We can't try it, otherwise we will grab the (tourist) quota."
As for the specific number of reserved places, he did not answer directly, only said that it was determined by the comprehensive consideration of multiple departments of the school. The reporter sent an interview letter to the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of Peking University on the issue of opening up to Peking University, but as of press time, the other party did not directly respond to the interview, but said by email that the WeChat account of "Peking University Release" had published relevant content and provided a link. After the reporter opened the link, he did not find any information about the total number of reserved places.
The rules on opening hours also invisibly give the possibility of refusal. When the reporter went to the China University of Geosciences and the University of Science and Technology Beijing in Haidian District, Beijing, the guard staff said that they were not open on weekdays, and they could directly swipe their ID cards to visit the school on weekends.
There are also universities that have not yet opened further. At the new east gate of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the reporter tried to swipe his ID card to enter the entrance before the access gate, but was not allowed to enter. "The school is not directly open to the public. The security personnel saw that at present, teachers and students from outside the school need to apply to enter the school, and they can only enter after passing the approval process.
However, even if it is a "limited edition", people are full of joy.
For Xiaobai, an Arabic major at Beijing International Chinese College, the most intuitive way for colleges and universities to return to normal is to be able to enjoy more excellent academic resources of colleges and universities more conveniently.
On the evening of January 4, Xiaobai, a lover of classics, attended a lecture on classics brought by Professor Cheng Zhimin of the Social Science Center of the School of Humanities of Hainan University at the School of Liberal Arts of Chinese University. Cheng Zhimin explained in simple terms, and from time to time integrated the current popular stalks, so that students of non-related majors could also listen to it with relish.
Professor Cheng Zhimin of the Social Science Center of the School of Humanities of Hainan University gave a keynote lecture at Chinese Renmin University.
Since New Year's Day this year, the Chinese National Congress has opened the online self-registration system "Renmin University Access" for social personnel, and those who need to enter the school can make an appointment to register in advance. "Last semester, I went to the National People's Congress to observe, and every time I asked a friend to help me register. Xiaobai said that it will be more convenient to listen to the lectures when he encounters the famous teacher course next. In the "National People's Congress", the reporter also found the "activity registration", which previews the public academic activities that the school will hold in the near future, and those who are interested can apply for one-click registration, and there is no need to make an additional appointment to enter the school after approval.
The opening of colleges and universities has not only allowed educational resources to flow, but also allowed more and more citizens to benefit from them, which may also be the reason why the public is so concerned.
Zhejiang University, which is open at night, has now become a good place for citizens to walk and exercise. On the night of the reporter's visit, two or three small doors were opened on the side of the Zijingang playground, and everyone could enter and exit freely. At the scene, many citizens were running and exercising at night. The basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts not far from the playground can be used by outsiders for a fee according to the notice at the entrance point. The charging principle is 10 yuan per person during the day and 20 yuan per person at night. Many members of the public said that although they need to be charged, they can accept it, after all, it is very cost-effective compared to the market price.
In the museum of Tongji University, there are several exhibitions such as the exhibition of intangible cultural heritage research and training achievements and the calligraphy exhibition of teachers and students. "People from outside the school can also go in and see it. The security personnel at the entrance of the museum guided the reporter to a sign-in machine, on which there are two card swiping ports, one for student ID cards and one for ID cards. Outsiders only need to swipe their ID cards and complete face recognition to enter the exhibition.
There is a guest book in the museum, which is mostly messages from people outside the school: "I will work hard to be admitted here" and "The collection of Tongji Museum allows the culture of the motherland to be displayed", ......The concrete and small value of university openness may also be felt from these comments.
Gradually returning to normalcy
Xiong Bingqi: To open up, we also need to ask "is the society ready?"
Should college campuses be open?
The official has already "gone down" to answer. A few days ago, the official website of the Ministry of Education made it clear in the "Letter on the Reply to the Proposal No. 04329 (No. 428 of Education) of the First Meeting of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" that it is of positive significance for university campuses to be better opened to the public, which is conducive to better integration and service to the society.
So why is the topic of university openness still controversial?
Frankly speaking, openness has indeed affected our learning and life to a certain extent. In the interview, a student of Tsinghua University told reporters that due to the increase in campus tourists on holidays, bicycles were borrowed and stolen for no reason, baskets were thrown into garbage, and the noise of teaching buildings affected self-study. "We never locked our bikes before, but after that incident, most of our classmates bought locks. The student said.
Today, many bicycles on the campus of Tsinghua University have been locked.
In contrast, the quota opening of colleges and universities, especially Tsinghua University and Peking University, often "seconds", and even "scalpers" peddling, also attracted public dissatisfaction. On social platforms, some netizens posted in July 2023 that they grabbed Tsinghua University and Peking University for 3 consecutive days, but they couldn't grab it, "It's really difficult to go in and visit, and there are 200 scalpers to find!" Under the content of this article, some netizens left a message "I'm looking for that scalper 550, it's simple." Although Tsinghua University, Peking University and other universities have emphasized to the public that there is no charge for visits, the phenomenon of "scalpers" is still repeatedly banned under the limited opening.
During this visit, the reporter did not make an appointment to go to Peking University for several days, and when he left a message on the social platform to ask the successful booker for tips, some "scalpers" took the initiative to find him.
The current social controversy is actually the issue of the openness of the campus and whether the relevant management procedures are reasonable in the process of opening up the campus to the outside world. According to Shi Chunyu, a professor at the School of Public Administration of Zhejiang Gongshang University, behind the social controversy is the gap between the status quo of openness and the expectations of the public.
Due to the special reasons of the epidemic, it seems that there is some caution in reopening the doors of colleges and universities that have implemented closed management to the society, but people who have been waiting for a long time can't wait to return to the free access before the epidemic.
There is no doubt that university campuses need to be open to the outside world. Shi Chunyu pointed out that it is necessary to consider the carrying capacity of the limited space and resources, and stressed that the primary function of the university campus is to provide an exclusive space for teaching and scientific research, "which is fundamentally different from the function of unconditionally open shopping malls and tourist attractions." Therefore, it is also necessary to get rid of the expectation of excessive romanticism. She suggested that a public discussion platform can be organized, so that university administrators, college teachers and students, parents of students and the public can participate in it, discuss rationally, fully respect the concerns and expectations of all parties, clarify the underlying problems in the process of campus opening through discussion, and discuss a consensus plan that can meet the needs of all parties, while ensuring the normal teaching and living order of college campuses, and maximize the benefits of social sharing of university campus resources.
How to achieve orderly opening up also tests the management wisdom of a university.
The pressures faced by different universities in China after opening up to the public are different. Xiong Bingqi, president of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said in an interview with reporters that how to open up universities should be analyzed on a case-by-case basis, and a one-size-fits-all opening requirement cannot be put forward to all universities. "For example, Tsinghua University and Peking University, because they are sought after by students and parents, if they are open to the society without restrictions, they will definitely be full of tourists. Some universities are already very short of campus resources, and they are located in downtown areas, and if they are open to the public, the original venue resources of the university will be stretched. However, some colleges and universities located in the suburbs are completely open to the public, and there are not many people from outside the school. He explained.
In the actual visit, the reporter also found that the "demand" of different colleges and universities to visit is obviously different. For example, at Peking University, even if there is no reservation, there is an endless stream of tourists with the mentality of "just come and take a picture" at the school gate; In some colleges and universities, tourists are rarely seen, and even if tourists enter the campus, the impact is not great.
People queuing up for a group photo at the North Gate.
When discussing the topic of university openness, Chinese society often takes universities in Europe and the United States without walls and gates as an example. In fact, the opening of foreign universities also varies from school to school. Xiong Bingqi said that although many universities in Europe and the United States do not have a gate and are integrated with the community, visitors can enter the campus without an appointment, but they cannot freely enter the library, teaching buildings, laboratories and other buildings. This strikes a balance between opening up the campus and maintaining the order of education and teaching. ”
Xiong Bingqi also said that in the process of opening up colleges and universities, another key question is "We need to ask whether the society is ready?" He further explained, for example, after the campus is opened, if there is a safety issue, will the society be able to treat it correctly and tolerantly? Because of this, universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua University "may still have a long way to go" to achieve the expectations of netizens without making an appointment or even bringing an ID card to enter the school directly," he said.
The good news, however, is that the higher education is taking action to meet the needs of society.
In the face of the upcoming winter vacation research boom, Peking University, Tsinghua University and other universities have revitalized campus resources, aiming to transform the winter vacation research tour from "sightseeing" to "educating people".
We will wait and see when colleges and universities return to the normal state of opening up. (*Tide News).