In order to cultivate a team of graduate tutors with ideals and beliefs, moral sentiments, solid knowledge and benevolence, on October 21, SIM held the Young Tutors Training Camp and Guidance Experience Exchange Meeting. Feicheng Ma, Senior Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Wuhan University, was invited to share and discuss his guiding experience with the young tutors at the SIM. Nearly 40 teachers attended the meeting, and Yaolin Jiang, CPC Deputy Secretary of the SIM, Wuhan University, presided over the meeting.
Xiaoguang Wang, Associate Dean of the SIM,Wuhan University, introduced the background, objective of theYoung Tutors Training Camp,and portfolio of postgraduate education and tutor team construction of the SIM. He pointed out that setting up a training camp for young tutors is one of the important measures to implement the policy of being the first responsible person for tutors, improve the guarantee mechanism for tutors and establish and improve the on-the-job training system for tutors. All along,SIMhas attached great importance to the construction of tutors team, taking foster virtue through education as the primary duty of tutors, and has strive to build a tutor team with noble teachers' morality, exquisite professional quality and focusing on cultivating graduate students' innovative ability. He hoped that young tutors would cherish the work of guiding graduate students and further enhance their sense of responsibility, mission and honor in cultivating students.
Professor Feicheng Ma has been guiding graduate students since 1988. He won honors such as Baosteel Excellent Teacher Special Award, National Famous Teacher, National 100 Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Instructor, The 2nd Wuhan University Postgraduate Education Outstanding Contribution Award, Good Mentor in My Mind of Wuhan University. Many graduate students under his guidance won Academic Innovation Scholarships and National Scholarships, etc. In his eloquent explanation, Professor Ma expounded his ideas and experiences in guiding graduate students for the young teachers.
First, we should carefully prepare the "first talk" and give freshmen the first lesson. Through the communication with graduate freshmen, we can fully understand their background, such as learning experience, existing knowledge structure, research interests, etc. On this basis, we can guide graduate students to choose courses, formulate individualized training programs for them, and plan their graduate study. The purpose of "first chat" is to help freshmen build up their academic confidence, and guide them to gradually understand their strengths, discover and cultivate their abilities from the beginning. Combining with the experience of cultivating the winner of the National 100 Excellent Doctoral Dissertation, Professor Ma emphasized that in the process of postgraduate training, it is necessary to guide graduate students to realize the importance of thinking, not only to complete the task, but to know why and how to do it creatively, so as to give full play to their potential.
Second, we should understand the whole process of guiding work and grasp the key links and elements. Professor Ma emphatically introduced the key elements such as research direction, research scope, scientific problems, research methods, research tools, research data, research process integration, and the problems that should be paid attention to in the guidance of each individual graduate student. Professor Ma pointed out that graduate students' course study, literature study and team meetings (reading meetings, project meetings, etc.) are of great significance to the cultivation of graduate students. Tutors should check these links, strengthen the cultivation and training of students' research ability, and carry out the education of academic integrity and academic ethics for graduate students in the process.
Third, we should guide students to tolerate failure and advocate the spirit of scientists. It is necessary to cultivate students' scientific attitude of seeking truth constantly, so as to meet social needs and create social values. We should strengthen our belief in scientific research, do not follow others' opinions, do not seek for "hot topics" blindly, keep our interest and curiosity in research, sit on the "cold bench" and work hard, let interest drive research, and pursue the scientist spirit of rigor, truth-seeking, innovation, cooperation, patriotism and dedication.
Fourth, we should care for students and pay attention to humanistic care. Tutor is the first responsible person for postgraduate training and shoulders the primary responsibility for postgraduate political and ideological work. Besides guiding graduate students to complete their studies, they should also pay attention to their lives and thoughts, strengthen humanistic care and psychological counseling, and do a good job of education and guidance in the process of caring for and helping them. At present, graduate students are under great pressure in terms of study and employment. As tutors, they should communicate with them as much as possible, care about their life, their physical and mental health, provide necessary help, and constantly improve their psychological quality and adjustment ability in face of difficulties and setbacks.
In communication session, tutors spoke up combining with their own experience in guiding graduate students. They discussed about how to give full play to the role of postgraduate tutors, such as individualized guidance, building collaborative teams, strengthening academic ideals, developing academic potential, balancing interests and tasks, guiding topic selection, and humanistic care. Tutors expressed that they have benefited greatly by this kind of exchange meeting. Through profound communication, they have been enlightened and have had a deeper understanding of how to fulfill their responsibilities as tutors in the future.
In recent years, four tutors of the SIM won the Wuhan University President Award for Outstanding Contribution in Postgraduate Education, and five tutors won the title of Good Mentor in My Mind of Wuhan University. Many tutors’ application of the innovative projects of “education path of all staff education, whole process education and all-round education”, and the demonstration course construction projects of “ideological education in specialized courses” for postgraduates have been successfully approved. The research performance of SIM postgraduates ranks first in the humanities and social sciences departments and schools of Wuhan University, and SIM won Wuhan University Original Research Group Award for Postgraduates.
In future, SIM will continue to organize exchange activities, share useful experiences and innovative measures in postgraduate training, and further explore and improve the quality of postgraduate education.