“The ultimate purpose of education does not lie in the pursuit of goals of individual disciplines but in cultivating people in an all-around way.”
“The efforts to establish cross-disciplinary Ph.D. programs at ZJU, International Campus will not only kick start its striving for interdisciplinary development but also bring momentum to this development.”
“Always being a hot topic, interdisciplinary development, with a clear vision of its future directions, is fundamentally the development of innovative solutions to existing problems by integrating advanced technologies and new perspectives. It is like ‘Shooting one bird with many guns’, meaning a better chance the bird can get shot.”
On April 20th, the International Campus launched its first “Hai Club Talk“ in the year 2021. Prof. OUYANG Hongwei, executive vice dean of the International Campus, held intensive conversations with representatives from faculties and students on topics such as cross-disciplinary development, talents cultivation, and the sharing of curriculum resources.
Some engaging questions discussed that noon include" How to understand the concept of interdisciplinary?", "How to embed interdisciplinary elements in the process of students development such as career planning? ", "How should students embark on interdisciplinary research?" and "How to achieve curriculum resources sharing across disciplines? " Drawing examples from his personal experiences, Prof. OUYANG answered the questions with helpful insights on the specific situations of the International Campus.
A vivid metaphor was used by Prof. OUYANG to illustrate interdisciplinary endeavors: a researcher is composed of longitudes and latitudes. Longitudes are his/her research goals and directions, while latitudes the platforms and means. With clear goals, an interdisciplinary researcher draws inspiration from cutting-edge technologies and innovative ideas to solve existing problems. “It is imperative to adopt novel means of communication if the goal is to promote cooperation cross disciplines.”
Prof. Ouyang also shared his insights on how students should embark on interdisciplinary researches. He believes that it is more beneficial to go where your curiosity leads you than just following what is mandated by the curriculums. Research accomplishments are always made when you are motivated by true passion. As Prof. Ouyang pointed out, disciplines have no boundaries after all. Through curriculum sharing and diversified teaching, the disciplinary boundaries currently existing in the process of education can be broken to promote interdisciplinary integration.
The “Hai Club Talk” was officially launched in November 2020 with the goal of building a platform for leaders, faculty, and students to exchange ideas and suggestions on issues regarding the development of the Campus from various aspects. This "Hai Club Talk" was hosted by Prof. ZHOU Jinqi, assistant Dean of International Campus and director of the Center for Academic Affairs. Leaders of the Institutes also attended the meeting.
（Article: ZHOU Xiaochen; Photography: LIU Shuaiyin; Translation: WANG Ruoqin; Editor in charge: XIA Ping）