Viewing the Construction of China's First-class Universities from the Decline of National Central University

摘要

Once a legend in the history of higher learning in China, National Central University was even top-ranked in Asia as a first-class university. However, its strength was greatly undermined during the adjustment of its faculties after the founding of the People's Republic of China. To separate out the reasons of its decline, it is not difficult to find out that the division of disciplines, the decline of talent quality, and the lack of free and autonomous atmosphere are the most important three aspects. The division of disciplines deprived the National Central University of the necessary foundation of a first-class university; the radicalization of and the decline of the talent- training quality deprived the Central University of the key elements of being first-class; the lack of freedom and autonomy deprived the "soil" for the growth of a first-class university and deprived it of the "nutrients" for its development. These three aspects are the important factors in the construction of first-class universities, pointing out the direction in the construction of contemporary first-class universities in China. Therefore, discipline construction, talent training, and free and independent campus atmosphere are the foundation and necessary conditions for building a first-class university.