On the afternoon of October 13th, the second session of “Dexin Lectures” of Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai (BNU Zhuhai) was held in A215 Lecture Hall, Muduo Building, aimed at strengthening the ideological and political education and professional ethics construction of teachers of BNU Zhuhai and BNUZ. Prof. Chen Xi, Dean of Phoenix School of BNU Zhuhai, exchanged views with teacher representatives on “Inheritance of Teacher Ethics and Enhancement of Multicultural Understanding.” Teacher representatives from more than 30 units of BNU Zhuhai and BNUZ attended the lecture.
At the beginning of the lecture, starting from the comparison of “medical ethics, official ethics and teachers’ ethics,” Prof. Chen Xi reviewed the development of China's ancient teachers' professional ethics system, among which many theories about teachers' professional ethics still have strong influence today. She pointed out that modern university educators should not only have academic knowledge, but also a high level of teachers’ ethics. Among them, the spirit of innovation, critical spirit, social care and tolerance of talents are indispensable to the university spirit. She emphasized that a modern education pursuing the all-round development of intellectual, emotional and spiritual education is needed to cultivate truly “modern talents.”
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has attached great importance to the building of teaching staff, which has been deemed as the top priority for improving the quality of teachers in the new era and providing a good education to the satisfaction of the People. Prof. Chen Xi guided the teachers to study the excerpts of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important statements on teachers’ ethics. From “High-quality and Professional Teachers,” “Four Guides” to “Four Unities,” and to the message that teachers should vigorously carry forward the spirit of educators, General Secretary Xi Jinping has continuously put forward new requirements for building teachers’ ethics in the new era, which provides a fundamental guideline for cultivating a high-quality and specialized teaching staff that meets the need to build our country into a powerful nation in education. Prof. Chen Xi highlighted that teachers’ ethics is the soul of educators and every educator should take improving their own level of ethics as their priority.
Then, Prof. Chen Xi explained multicultural understanding and shared her views on “cultural inheritance and innovation,” “integration and innovation” and “the impact of multiculturalism on the economy and society,” proposing that when there is mutual understanding, respect and tolerance among different cultures, there will be harmony and stability in the society. Through cultural exchanges in various ways, people can better understand and identify with the characteristics of other ethnic groups as well as common values, so as to promote social cohesion. The existence of different cultures makes society more colorful, and people of all ethnic groups can experience and enjoy the fun and creativity brought by different cultures on the basis of mutual understanding and respect.
Next, Prof. Chen Xi discussed with the teacher representatives on: “In addition to having high ethical standards for themselves, good teachers should also be concerned with the question of how to respond to the current situations.” Prof. Chen Xi analyzed the development of international education goals and shared many internationalization practices of SDG 13 (Sustainable Development Goal 13) plus education based on multicultural understanding. Prof. Chen Xi introduced Phoenix School’s practice of promoting multicultural understanding, including organizing a series of cultural salons, handicraft workshops, art exhibitions and other exchange activities to encourage students to actively participate in cross-cultural exchanges and pay attention to the global challenges facing humanity. Combining its advantages in multilingual, interactive language teaching and organizing immersive cultural activities, Phoenix Language Village is committed to providing teachers and students of BNU Zhuhai with training related to second foreign language learning and language proficiency exams, and building platforms and providing opportunities for teachers and students to engage in overseas exchanges, learning and practice. The language village is aimed to provide students with immersive cultural experiences and cultivate talents with international perspectives and global competences. Prof. Chen Xi pointed out that promoting multicultural understanding is the mission of education in the new era, the essence of which is the education of cultural understanding.
At the end of the lecture, Prof. Chen Xi pointed out that multicultural integration and innovation is an ongoing process that requires all parties to work jointly while maintaining an open mind and a positive attitude. Only through consistent practice and exploration and a genuine understanding of the connotation of multiculturalism can its power be fully unleashed to promote the development of society towards a better direction. Furthermore, in the process of education, promoting the critical spirit of Marxism, improving students’ sense of identity, pride of and confidence in traditional Chinese culture, and helping them to build a firm cultural confidence and a correct cultural outlook can effectively promote their own all-round development, which is more conducive to speeding up the process of building a culturally strong socialist country with Chinese characteristics. Therefore, it is an urgent historical task.
During the Q&A session, teacher representatives interacted with Prof. Chen Xi and asked questions about the Belt and Road Initiative, multicultural exchanges, and the advantages of fine Chinese traditional culture. Prof. Chen Xi gave pertinent responses and answers from a professional perspective in light of her own experience, and led the attendants to have an in-depth discussion on cultural understanding. Many teacher representatives said that the lecture deepened their understanding of teacher ethics and provided them with new ideas and methods for their educational practice. The discussion atmosphere was enthusiastic, and the teachers in attendance all said that they had benefited a lot. The lecture ended with a round of applause.
“Dexin Lectures” is a series of activities organized by the Teachers’ Work Department of BNU Zhuhai for the in-depth study and implementation of the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and General Secretary Xi Jinping's important statements on education, to strengthen the building of teacher ethics and to improve teachers’ professional and humanistic qualities. In the future, the Teachers’ Work Department of BNU Zhuhai will continue to organize a series of activities to further urge the teachers to carry forward their life, research and teaching with high ethical standards.
Translator: Yan Li
Proofreading: Martin Wittenberg
