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Spur creativity? China must be careful what it wishes forSingapore Straits TimesBy Chua Chin Hon, China Bureau ChiefMay 21, 2007BEIJING - CHINA is far-sighted in identifying creativity as a key ingredient for futureeconomic growth, but encouraging students to think independently may also have'potentially subversive' consequences, said Yale University president Richard Levin.Such changes will not happen overnight, but could play out over a generation as moreChinese youths learn to think for themselves and become more willing to challengeauthority, he told The Straits Times in an interview here last week.He is leading a delegation of 100 Yale faculty members and students on a 10-day visit toChina.President Hu Jintao has set out an ambitious plan to turn China into an 'innovationorientedsociety' by 2020, with the government announcing increased spending onresearch and development and higher learning.Beijing is also aware that achieving this strategic goal requires more than just money.Speaking to undergraduates at Shanghai's Tongji University last week, Premier WenJiabao encouraged them to think both independently and creatively. However, thisprocess may have consequences in the future for which Beijing did not intend, said DrLevin.He added: '(Promoting creativity) means a fundamental change in the way Chinesestudents learn.'Instead of being passive recipients of education, they will have to be more interactivelyengaged, willing to challenge authority and think independently. This will have potentialpolitical implications that are obvious and interesting.'He did not elaborate on what the implications might be, but added with a laugh that someof the consequences could be 'potentially subversive'.Among China watchers, there is little consensus on the political future of the world'smost populous country.One popular school of thought, which draws upon the broad historical trend of Westerndemocracies, suggests that an increasingly affluent Chinese middle class wouldeventually demand greater political participation and accountability, just like theircounterparts in the developed world.Thus, greater economic engagement of China would eventually prod the country towardspolitical openness, if not democracy.But Dr Levin said it was not obvious that China would follow such a path, given itsvastly different political culture and history.'This is where there is tension between what the history of the West teaches and whatChinese values, culture and history teach,' he added. 'I think it could go either way.'What is certain in his books, though, is the need for greater people-to-people exchangesbetween China and the United States, whose relationship with each other would have agreat impact on global peace and prosperity in the future.This view is widely endorsed by the Chinese leadership as well. In fact, the Yaledelegation led by Dr Levin is in China at the personal invitation of President Hu, whodelivered a speech at the campus in April last year as part of his official visit to the US.Said Dr Levin: '(The Yale delegation's visit to China) really symbolically demonstrateswhat (Mr Hu) and President Bush believe, that is, if young people from our two countriesreally get to know and understand one another better, then there will be a better future forus.'Yale's relationship with China is said to be longer than any other US university's, with thefirst mainland Chinese student, Yung Wing, arriving at its campus in 1850. Theuniversity currently has more than 600 mainland Chinese students and academics, thelargest 'foreign presence' on the campus.Yale also has extensive ties and collaborations with Chinese universities and thegovernment in fields such as law, biomedical research, nanotechnology and leadershiptraining.An area that Dr Levin hopes to expand on is Yale's collaboration with China onenvironmental problems. The university already has a joint programme with QinghuaUniversity in Beijing to educate mayors and vice-mayors in sustainable development andenvironmental issues, and its president hopes to create more such opportunities.'If China and the US don't seriously start to address the issue of greenhouse gasemissions, the whole planet is in trouble,' he warned.
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回复: 推介阅读：Spur creativity? China must be careful what it wishes forToday I read this article again ,tks for posting it here
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回复: 推介阅读：Spur creativity? China must be careful what it wishes forThe truth is not always pretty and the West is not always right!To create an opportunity for the political opennes may increase the national unstability ! We must think twice!
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东北农家小笨鸡，不喜欢长头发的男生！我的国歌回复: 推介阅读：Spur creativity? China must be careful what it wishes forWhat exactly is the author trying to say?Apparntly, the West would like more "democracy" in China. And the only way to achieve that is encourage more independent thinking and free speech. If it is also concerned about subversion in China, what exactly do they want to happen in China?Confuses me.
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平等、法治、博爱The truth is not always pretty and the West is not always right! To create an opportunity for the political opennes may increase the national unstability ! We must think twice!点击展开...Well, the truth is sooo hard to define and esp. to agree on. Definitely I wouldn't believe the West always has it on its side. As for political openness, I suppose you can't supress different opinions forever. Independent thinking is always there and should be encouraged as it can bring positive effect. Currently, seems that stability is a big deal and I don't argue about that. Just don't sacrifice EVERYTHING for the sake of stability.
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