西湖大學獲批成立 “劍”指世界一流

Located beside Hangzhou’s beautiful West Lake, a new private university will soon rise.

在杭州美麗的西子湖畔，一所全新的民辦高校將很快崛起。

The Ministry of Education has officially approved the opening of the new Westlake University, reported China Daily. It will be China’s first private doctorate-granting university. As a new-type of research-oriented university, it will focus on advanced technology and scientific research.

據(jù)《中國日報》報道，教育部發(fā)函同意設立西湖大學。該校將是中國第一所授予博士學位的民辦高校。作為一所新型研究型大學，西湖大學將關注前沿科學技術研究。

At first, it will only offer doctoral education, but will start undergraduate programs in the future, with no more than 5,000 students. The project was put forward by a group of top Chinese academics, including former Tsinghua University vice-president Shi Yigong, who was elected as the university’s first president on April 16.

學校從舉辦博士研究生教育起步，適時開展本科生教育，全日制在校生規(guī)模不超過5000人。該項目由包括原清華大學副校長施一公教授在內(nèi)的一眾國內(nèi)頂尖學者發(fā)起籌建，而施一公也于4月16日當選西湖大學首任校長。

In 15 years, it “will be regarded as one of the best universities, not just in Asia but around the world,” said Shi, reported the South China Morning Post.

據(jù)《南華早報》報道，施一公表示，15年內(nèi)，該校“將成為亞洲乃至世界范圍內(nèi)最好的大學之一”。

According to Shi, during the past few decades, China’s public universities such as Peking and Tsinghua have developed greatly. On the other hand, private universities have mostly remained at the same level.

施一公認為，在過去的幾十年間，北大清華等國內(nèi)公立高校發(fā)展都十分迅速。而大部分民辦院校卻止步不前。

“Most of the private universities focus on vocational training, providing low-level skilled workers to the society instead of high-end talent,” said Shi. “However, in the US, private universities play an important role in cultivating top talent.”

“民辦大學絕大部分為職業(yè)技術型，偏重于就業(yè)，偏重于為社會培養(yǎng)簡單的就業(yè)人才，并不是著眼于研發(fā)型的高端頂尖人才，”施一公說道。“在美國這樣的國家，私立大學在培養(yǎng)頂尖人才方面發(fā)揮著重要作用。”

The approval of this university is seen as a move that could “add a new type of institute to the Chinese higher education sector that has long been dominated by public universities”, commented CGTN.

這所高校的獲批成立，被視為能夠在“由公立大學長期主導的中國高等教育領域中加入一種新型院校”，中國國際電視臺評論道。

Like US private universities, Westlake University will be under the governance of a board of directors, and the president will run the university.

和美國私立大學一樣，西湖大學將在校董會的決策下，由校長負責學校日常管理。

Meanwhile, its funding will come from donations, tuition, and research projects, as well as government subsidies, according to People’s Daily. Businesspeople such as Tencent founder and CEO Pony Ma and Wanda Group founder Wang Jianlin have already offered funds to the university.

與此同時，據(jù)《人民日報》報道，西湖大學經(jīng)費來源主要為社會捐贈、辦學收入、競爭性科研項目經(jīng)費和政府扶持資金等。騰訊創(chuàng)始人、總裁馬化騰以及萬達集團創(chuàng)始人王健林等商界人士已為該校提供了捐贈資金。

The approval of Westlake University comes at a time when China is trying to promote private education. On Sept 1, 2017, a revised law on private education took effect, which includes various measures to support private education. For example, it says that non-profit private schools will enjoy the same policies as public schools in land use and taxation. It’s hoped that private universities will play a bigger role in China’s higher education in the future.

西湖大學的獲批創(chuàng)辦恰逢中國嘗試推動民辦教育之時。2017年9月1日，新修訂的《民辦教育促進法》正式實施，提出了一系列支持民辦教育的措施。比如，非營利性民辦學?？梢韵硎芘c公辦學校同等的稅收優(yōu)惠和土地政策。民辦大學有望將來在中國高等教育中發(fā)揮更大的作用。

“We hope that after 20 or 30 years, there will be a group of famous private universities in China like the Westlake University, which could be well respected in China and by the world,” Shi told China Youth Daily.

“我想大家可以想象20年、30年之后，會有一批像西湖大學這樣卓越的民辦大學，一樣為國家和世界做出貢獻。”施一公在接受《中國青年報》采訪時表示。