Preface:
When the school was founded, it caught up with Tsinghua University in five years, making it an "outlier" in domestic universities, and countless netizens waited for a "slap in the face".
However, after five years, the group of people who used to watch jokes have changed their tune, and even the entire domestic academic community is stunned by their achievements!
Now let's walk into this school and take a look at what kind of effort and results have made public opinion so reversed?
Strong funds, the cornerstone of development
The first thing that catches your eye when you walk into Westlake University is its modern campus facilities. Spacious and well-lit laboratories, a well-equipped library, and a high-tech academic building all demonstrate the financial resources of this young university.
However, Westlake's financial support does not come from traditional government grants, but from a unique hybrid model.
"There are two main sources of funding," said Li Ming (pseudonym), director of the Development Office of Westlake University, "one is donations from all walks of life, including large donations from some well-known entrepreneurs and philanthropists; The second is the benefits brought by the high-tech enterprises we have cultivated. "
It is understood that since its establishment, Westlake University has incubated a number of high-tech enterprises, three of which have a valuation of more than 100 million US dollars. These enterprises not only bring considerable economic benefits to the university, but also provide a direct channel for the transformation of scientific research achievements of the university.
"Our goal is to create a virtuous circle," Li Ming explains, "and the university nurtures the enterprise, and the enterprise feeds back to the school, which not only ensures the financial independence of the school, but also promotes the practical application of scientific research results." "
This innovative funding model provides strong support for the rapid development of Westlake University, and also provides a development path for other new universities to learn from.
International faculty
Walking around Westlake University's campus, you can easily hear a variety of different languages. It brings together more than 200 top scholars from 15 countries and regions, of which more than 90% are from top foreign universities and research institutions. This highly international faculty structure is unique among domestic universities.
"Our hiring criteria are simple: we want to be world-class," said Zhang Hua (not his real name), director of human resources at Westlake University. "
This eclectic talent introduction strategy has enabled Westlake University to gather a group of top international talents in a short period of time.
For example, John Smith (pseudonym), a biologist from Harvard University who has a reputation for research in the field of RNA; Sarah Johnson (pseudonym), a physicist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has made significant contributions to quantum computing.
"At Westlake, I felt an unprecedented atmosphere of academic freedom and innovation," John Smith said in an interview, "and it gave me plenty of space to pursue my research interests without having to be distracted by funding and administrative matters." "
This international faculty structure not only brings advanced research concepts and methods to Westlake University, but also creates an international learning environment for students.
PI system innovation
Another distinctive feature of Westlake University is its innovative research management model, the PI system (PI). Under this model, each PI is an independent research unit with full academic autonomy and resource allocation.
"The core of the PI system is trust and empowerment," explains Wang Qiang (pseudonym), director of the Office of Scientific Research Management at Westlake University. "
Under the PI system, researchers at Westlake University can independently decide on their research directions, manage their research teams, and even decide on the use of funds. This high degree of autonomy has greatly improved the efficiency of scientific research and the ability to innovate.
"At Westlake, I feel more like an entrepreneur than just a researcher," said one PI who asked not to be named, "and it's both exciting and challenging." "
However, a high degree of autonomy also means a high level of responsibility. Westlake University is very strict in the assessment of PI, and adopts a unique evaluation standard of "six non-emphasis and one emphasis".
"We don't pay attention to the number of papers, citations, awards, impact factors, talent titles, and patents," Wang explains, "but we focus on whether the research results are truly indispensable in the field." "
This evaluation criterion encourages researchers to pursue original research that is truly impactful, rather than engaging in short-term behavior for the sake of evaluation indicators.
Scientific research achievements after the establishment of the university
In just six years since its establishment, Westlake University has obtained 5 first-level discipline doctoral degree authorization points, which is a rare achievement among domestic universities. This not only reflects the strength of Westlake University in the cultivation of high-level talents, but also reflects the rapid development of its discipline construction.
"Obtaining a Ph.D. authorization point is a recognition of the strength of our discipline," said Li Fang (pseudonym), dean of the Graduate School at Westlake University, "but this is just the beginning, and our goal is to achieve world-class standards in every subject area." "
Westlake University's discipline construction strategy is to "do something, don't do something". The school does not blindly pursue the all-round development of disciplines, but focuses on basic disciplines and cutting-edge interdisciplinary disciplines such as life sciences, physics, chemistry, and engineering.
"Our philosophy is that instead of doing a lot of things with mediocrity, we should do a few things with excellence," Li Fang explains, "and we want to be the best in our chosen field." "
From quantitative change to qualitative change
The growth rate of scientific research achievements at Westlake University is remarkable. Just 6 years after its establishment, Westlake University has ranked 12th in the country in the number of papers published in top journals, and has made breakthroughs in many cutting-edge fields.
"These achievements are made possible by our unique research environment and management model," said Zhang Ming (pseudonym), director of the Research Office at Westlake University. "
In the field of life sciences, the research team at Westlake University has made a major breakthrough in the early diagnosis of cancer; In the field of physics, Westlake University is at the forefront of quantum computing research in the world; In the field of materials science, the new nanomaterials developed by Westlake University are expected to bring revolutionary changes in the field of energy storage.
"We are not satisfied with simply increasing the number of papers," Zhang Ming emphasized, "and we are pursuing original results that can advance the development of the discipline and solve major scientific problems." "
Innovative talent training model
Westlake University's talent training model is also quite distinctive. The school implements the training model of undergraduate and doctoral studies, and undergraduates can enter the laboratory to participate in scientific research after admission, which attracts a large number of high-scoring candidates.
"We hope to cultivate not only learners of knowledge, but also creators of knowledge," said Wang Li (pseudonym), director of the Academic Affairs Office of Westlake University. "
At Westlake University, undergraduates can choose a supervisor according to their interests and participate in the supervisor's research projects. The university also provides students with sufficient funding support for scientific research, encouraging them to experiment and innovate.
"Here, I feel like I'm not just learning knowledge, I'm participating in the process of creating knowledge," said junior Li (pseudonym) excitedly. "
Cultivation of an international perspective
In order to cultivate students' international perspectives, Westlake University provides all undergraduate students with a semester of exchange study opportunities in foreign universities. The university has established partnerships with 21 leading overseas universities, including Duke University, the University of California, Berkeley, etc.
"In today's globalized world, an international perspective is crucial for students' future development," said Chen Jing (pseudonym), Director of the International Cooperation Office at Westlake University. "
Students who have participated in overseas exchanges generally report that the experience has been very rewarding. "One semester at Berkeley has given me a whole new perspective on my major," said Wang (not his real name), a fourth-year student, "and I have made friends from all over the world, which are valuable assets." "
Epilogue:
The rise of Westlake University is undoubtedly a microcosm of China's higher education reform.
With its innovative school-running model, international faculty, advanced scientific research management, and unique talent training methods, it is writing a new chapter in China's higher education.
However, Westlake's development path has not been smooth. How to maintain the vitality of innovation while ensuring sustainable development, and how to pursue academic excellence while taking social responsibility into account, these are the challenges that Westlake University needs to face.
However, in any case, the exploration and practice of Westlake University have provided valuable experience for the reform and development of China's higher education. Its story deserves our continued attention and consideration.
The source comes from The Paper: How is the development of the high-profile Westlake University? Shi Yigong said......