What joyful changes will come? As the pioneers in Shanghai said, when universities open the "wall", cities | universities

Since May this year, universities in Shanghai have gradually resumed opening up to the public. Alumni have taken the opportunity to return to their alma mater and gather with former teachers and friends, and many citizens and tourists have proactively made reservations and visited. For a while, how university campuses can further engage in deeper interactions with the general public and more knowledgeable ordinary people, and complement the development of Shanghai has become a hot topic of discussion.

In fact, there is a university in Shanghai that has taken steps and is willing to try, actively building an "open campus" that can be shared by citizens. Many citizens are also conscientious individuals, even when traveling abroad or studying abroad, they do not forget to pay attention to the various social, community, and city oriented practices of local universities.

Whether it is the teachers and students of this university, or those who have a heart, they all hold a wish - one day, the university campus under their feet and around them can become a "good place" in the city of Shanghai.

Suzhou Riverside Centennial Campus Beautifies New Heights

Shanghai girl Xiao Xu has a passion for history and is a staunch fan of the popular "City Walk" activity.

Not long ago, she visited a friend's house on Guangfu West Road and accidentally took a taxi near the southeast gate of East China University of Political Science and Law located on Guangfu West Road. In her own words, she accidentally stumbled into a fairyland.

She passed by the guard room and no one came to inquire, nor did she need to go through any procedures. After nervously taking a few more steps forward, the Huazheng Bridge on the left front caught her eye.

Walking on the bridge, the elegant and green Suzhou River brings a gentle breeze. Crossing this bridge, Xiaoxu headed south all the way. The buildings along the way are either antique or elegant and dignified, presenting a different style of scenery every few tens of steps, making her exclaim of satisfaction.

The calm and composed figures of teachers, students, and cyclists who occasionally pass by her made her pace slow down again. After regaining her senses, she found herself walking to the main entrance of the campus located on Wanhangdu Road.

Walking to the No. 20 bus stop opposite the main entrance of the campus, the English style bus shelter with a dome gave Xiaoxu a refreshing feeling, blending with the scenery of Zhongshan Park, a century old park.

Turn around and look at Huazheng Garden again. Apart from the main building of the school gate, the traditional street wall is not visible near Gate 2 of Zhongshan Park. A green belt composed of shrubs and grasslands separates the boundary between the street and the campus. Due to the lack of walls, the large trees, pavilions, and historical buildings on the campus once again flooded into Xiao Xu's eyes.

Tian Tian, a third grade boy living in Changning, recently made an agreement with his father to choose a day every weekend to study along the Suzhou River Trail at East China University of Political Science and Law.

The "study" agreed upon by Tian Tian and his father is as follows: in the morning, go to the "1575 Cafe under the Pavilion" located near the starting point of the Su River Trail in the Huazheng section to review your homework for a while. This coffee shop is named after its location below the library of East China University of Political Science and Law. Sitting in the spacious sofa seat with his father to study, Tian Tian occasionally caught sight of the figures of Huazheng teachers and students meeting here to discuss issues. There are also some areas in the caf é that can be individually booked, where club activities, audio and video salons, etc. are occasionally held. "They look very knowledgeable," said Tian Tian.

After having some simple meals near noon, Tian Tian will take a walk with his father along the trail. "Saying it's a walk is more like visiting an open-air museum," Tian Tian's father said.

The riverside greenway, with a total length of over 900 meters, surrounds the entire wedge-shaped peninsula. The father and son walked together in 10 public spaces, including "Simeng Garden", "Gezhi Garden", "Yizhu Garden", "Xiezhi Garden", "Huazheng Bridge", "Peach and Plum Garden", "Dongfeng Corner", "Law Theater", "Ginkgo Court", and "Shuxiang Garden" of East China University of Political Science and Law. The overall style and features of more than 20 cultural protection buildings are integrated with the landscape on both sides of Suzhou River.

"I really like this coastline! Next time, I will bring a paintbrush and paper to paint the scenery here!" Tian Tian told the reporter, his excitement overflowing.

If there is enough time, Tian Tian's father will also take his son to the Huazheng campus to see the "ancient buildings". "The environmental guidance in Huazheng Park is done very well. As long as you follow these signs and signs, you can easily find the place you want to go. Moreover, the introduction signs at the entrance of each building seem to have been uniformly designed, making it easy for you to find it at a glance."

According to the reporter's understanding, the set of "road signs" and "introduction signs" that have been praised by Tian Tian's father and other citizens and tourists are a carefully planned "Changning Campus Environmental Guidance System" by the school on the occasion of last year's 70th anniversary celebration of Huazheng. The purpose is to make Huazheng Park a better urban public cultural space that serves teachers and students and integrates into society.

Visually and stylishly, this environmental guidance system extracts elements such as colonnades, arches, arched windows, and gray bricks from the historical buildings that combine the East and West of Huazheng Garden, achieving a high degree of integration between guidance information, visual elements, and the historical architectural environment.

In terms of information content, the school has delved into historical materials and presented the numerous imprints of modern Chinese higher education and the 70 year path of legal education in New China, which have been preserved in this century old campus, in a more accessible and rigorous form of mixed text and images. The memories and cultural connotations behind the historical architectural complex, along with the visible blue bricks, red tiles, and buildings, form a string of pearls and shine together.

"Open Campus" is not built in a day

Just as Rome was not built in a day, the Changning Campus of East China University of Political Science and Law, which has now become a pioneer of "open campuses" in Shanghai, has gone through rounds of "demolishing walls to reveal greenery," "reshaping space," and "opening up and improving" before becoming what it is today.

Among them, Taoli Garden, located in the U-shaped bend, has a broad view and is surrounded by 8 historical buildings. It is the most popular "internet celebrity check-in point" for the Huazheng section of Suzhou River among the citizens. Before the reconstruction, the area was surrounded by greenery for many years and was under repair, not open to the public.

"Every time I talk about campus opening, I am filled with emotions, emotions, and gratitude. The entire process of campus opening is not easy, but very meaningful." Speaking to reporters about the entire Changning campus becoming an "open campus", Guo Weilu, Secretary of the Party Committee of East China University of Political Science and Law, expressed his emotions. "Huazheng Park, as a public space along the Suzhou River, was officially opened to the public on September 23, 2021. However, in my mind, the earliest and most important point of campus opening can be traced back to November 2019."

Afterwards, the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Government proposed to accelerate the opening up of the "One River, One River" coastal area. On the first working day after New Year's Day in 2020, the main leaders of the Municipal Party Committee visited the Changning Campus of East China University of Political Science and Law for inspection. They talked about "first-class cities nurturing first-class universities, first-class universities achieving first-class cities", which deeply touched Guo Weilu.

The school immediately convened a party committee. Guo Weilu wrote a report titled "Fully Open Campus and Integrate into Urban Development", representing the school's determination and setting the tone for subsequent work. "Although many specific questions were raised later regarding the opening of Huazheng Park as a public space along the Suzhou River to citizens, they were all operational issues that needed to be addressed. Our goal of opening the campus was very clear from the beginning."

In the process of promoting campus openness, the school has encountered many difficulties. "For example, there are many student dormitories on the Changning campus, located by the river, with walls tightly attached to the walkway and mostly occupied by girls. Once the campus opens, the dormitories need to be renovated and the bathrooms need to be demolished. The experience and security of students' accommodation are worrying. Where do students move to? Life problems such as bathing and dining are all realistic. The problems of dilapidated buildings, insufficient supporting facilities, and low repair standards are prominent."

It was in this situation that the main leaders of the Municipal Party Committee visited the school for research, listened to the school's report on the difficulties of opening up, and expressed concerns about the implementation of opening up; After understanding the pressure on all teachers and students in the school, on the one hand, I affirmed the efforts made by Huazheng in campus openness, and on the other hand, I gave great encouragement and support to teachers and students, giving them the confidence and confidence to be open.

Campus open work is a game of chess, but playing it well requires dealing with countless details. Guo Weilu used two sets of words to summarize the key points of promoting campus openness - "addition and subtraction" and "hard and soft".

In the process of implementing campus openness, the school has clearly defined the "four maxims" - moving as much as possible, giving way as much as possible, dismantling as much as possible, and opening as much as possible. This is subtraction. The Municipal Party Committee and Government strongly support the school's renovation of the Hedong area, which is an addition. The century old architecture of the campus is hardware, and the historical stories and cultural connotations carried by the century old campus are software.

In Guo Weilu's view, the century old campus where Huazheng Changning Campus is located carries two "70 years". One is from 1879 to 1952, telling the story of the earliest university campus in modern Shanghai's urban history. Another is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of East China University of Political Science and Law from 1952 to 2022, which tells the story of legal education in New China. "These two periods of history are very precious and worth cherishing. Openness has put forward new requirements for us to strengthen our own learning: to handle the relationship between two 70 years and tell two stories well."

In order to alleviate the initial concerns of teachers and students about openness, from June to August 2021, the school listened to opinions and suggestions through various channels and methods, and held multiple mass symposiums, including those for retired comrades and professors, party and government officials, democratic parties, and students. Guo Weilu introduced the considerations of the city and the future plans of the school to everyone at the meeting. Everyone expressed understanding and support after listening.

An old comrade once said, "This is a major opportunity for the development of the school, and it is the concern of the Municipal Party Committee and Government for the Chinese government." Some teachers said, "Campus opening not only opens up the walls, but also opens up the mind and vision." The students said, "We hope to build our campus into the most beautiful campus." These speeches inspired Guo Weilu and colleagues to turn the initial worries of teachers and students about campus opening into peace of mind, peace of mind, and later happiness. ".

Behind the creation of an "open campus", in addition to top-level planning, countless coordinated efforts are needed.

Since January 2020, the Changning campus has relocated all students living along the river, dismantled all the walls and isolation barriers along the riverbank, and demolished 18 buildings. The open space along the river covers an area of approximately 21000 square meters, which is 9 times the original space. The original widest point was 4.5 meters, but now the narrowest point is 4.5 meters, and the widest point is 98 meters.

In the past two years, as an important part of the overall improvement project of the campus environment, Huazheng has promoted the high standard repair of cultural heritage buildings in Changning Campus in three batches, while also carrying out maintenance on other existing buildings that are not protected by cultural heritage.

Huazheng students not only understand campus openness, but also actively support the work of school openness. The students of the School Oral History Association took the initiative to step forward and tell the cultural stories of the century old campus to the majority of incoming citizens. Some students write, direct, and perform their own school history stories, arranging and interpreting them into immersive real-life ideological and political courses, becoming the main body of self-education. During the process of participating in campus opening up, students became disseminators and promoters of school history and culture, which deeply moved Guo Weilu.

It is reported that the school is continuously exploring historical resources such as the "First Camp for the Liberation of Shanghai", building an "education base for red rule of law culture", and creating a "showcase" of red culture, rule of law culture, and Shanghai style culture. We hope to use our own strengths to drive regional level upgrading and help Suzhou River move towards a world-class waterfront area.

Open sharing and peaceful order are not irreconcilable contradictions

The safety issues of university campuses after further opening up to the public and citizens have always been of great concern.

Will there be an exponential increase in security pressure and investment in schools after the opening of the campus? Guo Weilu's answer is, "As long as you try seriously, you can always find a suitable solution to the difficulties in security management.".

Huazheng's confidence comes from the practical work in various stages of campus opening up, and finding safety management methods that meet the security needs of the school. For example, there are different security requirements and management difficulties in the waterfront area, public spaces, and building clusters, which need to be distinguished.

"From school gate management to building management, we have tried our best to achieve refinement. Each building has been equipped with an identification system. As a liberal arts university, we do not have many laboratories. Therefore, our difficulty lies more in the security of cultural heritage buildings. Compared to modern buildings, the difficulty of installing high-tech security devices in cultural heritage buildings will be greater, and the corresponding requirements will be higher." Guo Weilu introduced.

After walking to the scene a lot, Guo Weilu also had one experience: "It's best for the campus security system to be imperceptible. For example, for citizens entering the school, they should have a better experience, rather than being prompted and monitored everywhere."

Lawyer Weng Guanxing from Shanghai Yingtai Law Firm studied at the Huazheng Changning Campus during his undergraduate studies. In his memory, the Changning campus has a superior geographical location and convenient access. Due to its pleasant scenery, nearby residents often come in for walks and exercise. "When there are many foreign visitors, it can cause some influence and interference to teachers and students. However, the school and teachers and students are generally friendly and tolerant. Many times, by kindly reminding or giving a glance, the other party can understand your meaning."

Later, when he had the opportunity to visit multiple universities overseas, Weng Guanxing discovered that there were both fully open universities and some open and some closed universities abroad. The degree of campus openness is influenced by multiple factors such as transportation and terrain conditions, financial resources, cultural resources, close relationships with the community and town where it is located, and resource dependence. Regardless of the level of openness, it is common to subdivide security levels in different areas. For example, public spaces represented by greenery and greenways allow visitors to freely enter and exit, and there is no problem for pedestrians to use restrooms in public areas; In areas where scientific research safety needs to be strictly ensured and normal teaching activities are not disturbed, barriers will be set up and on-site security personnel will be added. Only teachers, students, and qualified personnel are allowed to enter and exit.

"Opening cultural spaces such as museums and art galleries on campus to the public is another situation," added Weng Guanxing. On the one hand, as an important carrier of the historical and cultural heritage of a country or region, the historical buildings and cultural exhibition halls in universities are of great significance for local residents to enhance their sense of identity and belonging to the country and urban culture; On the other hand, in the modern sense, universities are also an important force and intellectual engine for cultural construction, dissemination, and exchange, with a need to establish their own cultural brand, expand social interaction, and gather advantageous resources. By leveraging the disciplinary characteristics and geographical advantages of the school, various themed museums can be constructed to fully leverage their functions in publicity, education, and social services.

"Open sharing and peaceful order are not irreconcilable contradictions. Whether a school should create a more mysterious image or a more positive and open image can be decided independently by the school." Weng Guanxing believes that the school's independent decision-making, while fully cooperating and actively building with the community, is a relatively ideal state.

Every heart of learning deserves respect

"University is a good place." This is a phrase repeatedly mentioned by many citizens and tourists when visiting multiple campuses in Shanghai.

Citizen Xiaolin is a post-80s generation. She told reporters that every time she goes to a country or city, local universities are a must visit stop. "Not only is the scenery on campus attractive and the cultural space it belongs to easy to explore, but even the streets, communities, markets, small shops, and restaurants around the university are very interesting. With a strong cultural atmosphere, one can also feel the spirit, lifestyle, and fashion trends of the local younger generation."

Shen Kai, a teacher at Jianping Middle School in Shanghai, is also an active actor. Last semester, by chance, Shen Kai clicked on the website of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and saw that the "Summer School" organized by the academic exchange department of the university was recruiting students. She submitted the application as an international student with a try and see attitude, but unexpectedly succeeded. The entire course lasts for 5 weeks.

Standing on the campus of HKUST, Shen Kai noticed that tourists or study groups can often be seen on campus. Generally, by registering their identity at the school gate, they can enter the campus. The shuttle buses on campus can be taken as needed at any time, and there are also several restaurants with particularly beautiful scenery that will attract a considerable number of tourists. "Other restaurants mainly serve teachers and students. Visitors must swipe their card when entering places such as libraries and administrative buildings."

As a high school teacher, how do you view the opportunity for teenagers to enter university campuses? Is it worth promoting and making some positive attempts? In Shen Kai's view, the answer is "should support and actively try.".

"Nowadays, students often get to know the world through the internet, which seems to be extensive but mainly relies on second-hand information. The experience of participating in the campus in person is irreplaceable. Immersing oneself in the culture of the university campus allows students to more intuitively feel the meaning and joy of learning, and thus establish their own goals. Such opportunities are not only necessary for high school students who are close to choosing a school, but also for younger children." On the campus of HKUST, Shen Kai has seen many junior high school student study groups, which are directly organized by the academic exchange department of the school, "otherwise management will be easy to be chaotic, and quality may not be guaranteed.".

According to Shen Kai's understanding, some universities in Hong Kong have also arranged many high-quality exhibitions during holidays, which are open to the public and tourists to visit. Some canteens allow tourists to directly purchase food, which can be paid through WeChat or Octopus. Why are these exhibitions scheduled during holidays? "Perhaps it's because there are too many tourists during regular events, which may affect the teaching order."

This rare learning opportunity gave Shen Kai a feeling: there is strong mobility in society nowadays, whether it is traveling, visiting schools, or ordinary school visits, they are all inevitable. She sat in the classroom of the summer school and found that "people really come from all over the world.". She believes that similar scenes will also appear in Shanghai in the near future, "even becoming a very common state.".

What inspired Shen Kai even more was that in the classroom, professors worked hard to connect some very academic and professional content with the lives, practices, and experiences of students in summer schools. In addition, "the biggest surprise is being able to freely experience what interests me. I think this should be an important part of our learning and life. After returning to Shanghai, I will also bring this learning atmosphere and experience to my students."