On the afternoon of July 3, Zhang Wenzhong, Professor of the English Department of the School of Foreign Studies of Nankai University and Director of the Rural Workstation of Duolun County in Inner Mongolia, gave a lecture on “Nankai University and Rural Revitalization” in Duolun County, Inner Mongolia. The lecture was part of a series of lectures commemorating the 105th anniversary of the founding of Nankai University and the modernization of China. The meeting was attended by officials from the government of Duolun County, the Education Ministry, the Agricultural Ministry, the Guanlong Committee and other relevant departments, as well as township cadres and representatives from primary and secondary schools.
Prof. Zhang Wenzhong first introduced the deep historical connection between Duolun County and Tianjin and Nankai University from the aspects of history, culture and outstanding alumni. He said, “The Luan River, which originates from Duolun, is the mother river of the Tianjin people, and I, as a Tianjin citizen, am grateful to Duolun.”
In the report, Prof. Zhang made a specific introduction around a series of typical examples carried out in the course of the historical development of Nankai University to support the construction of villages and promote the development of rural economy, as well as the overall construction of Nankai University's rural workstations by the name of Chinese path to modernisation.
Prof. Zhang elaborated on Nankai University's work in helping rural revitalization from three perspectives: scientific research assistance, educational services and cultural guidance. He said that in scientific research assistance, Nankai University has integrated high-quality resources, achieved fruitful research results, and applied these theoretical results to agricultural production and rural development, contributing wisdom and strength to rural revitalization. In education services, Nankai University attaches importance to the combination of “helping the intellect” and “helping the will”, and actively improves grassroots rural cultural soft power, and carries out all kinds of practical and voluntary activities, guiding teachers and students to provide strong support for rural talent cultivation and industrial development. In cultural guidance, Nankai University actively promotes excellent traditional culture, red culture and local culture, and organizes teachers and students to participate in a number of rural cultural construction and cultural activities.
Prof. Zhang Wenzhong said that Nankai's more than 100 years of development is precisely in the process of constantly interpreting and solving China's problems, especially China's rural problems. Nankai University will continue to contribute to the revitalization of the countryside in the new era, and the teachers and students of the School of Foreign Studies will work together to empower the rural revitalization of Duolun County with the beauty of foreign languages.
School of Foreign Studies of Nankai University has previously set up rural workstations by the name of Chinese path to modernisation in Hetao City, Hebei Province, and Bazhong City, Sichuan Province, respectively, to provide educational and teaching assistance, English speaking support, and red cultural publicity for a number of primary and secondary schools in the local services. Relying on the teaching and research projects carried out by the “Empowerment and Enhancement” teaching team, the relevant workstations share learning experiences with local schools, promote cultural inheritance, and help local students better master foreign language knowledge and enhance their cultural heritage.
