The presidents of 121 Chinese universities and 20 world-famous foreign universities from 11 countries and regions attended the Chinese-Foreign University Presidents Forum held in Nanjing on May 3. Reporters asked five domestic and foreign presidents about the prospect and problems of Chinese universities. They all agreed that China will definitely be home to world-class universities, though it will take at least 20 years.

What is the gap between world-class universities and Chinese universities? John Hennessy, president of Stanford University, explained China should focus more on the quality of its higher education but not simply build universities one after another and that it will take China at least 20 years to create a world-class university.

Hennessy said Chinese universities mainly have two problems. First, the predominant teaching method in most Chinese universities is teacher-centered lectures, while group discussions are rarely seen, which negatively affects students' learning. There are Chinese students at Stanford University who do not dare ask questions when they first arrive, but they change and become active after seeing their foreign classmates challenge their teachers, he said.

Second, he said Chinese university students are required to choose their majors when they are only around 18 years old, which is too early for them. They do not know about university courses, let alone have any interest in the courses. Their horizons become limited because they choose majors too early and misunderstand the relationship between a college education and future careers.

The purpose of undergraduate education is not only to help students find jobs but more importantly to build a solid foundation for their lives in the next 20 to 30 years. Of course, vocational schools where students mainly learn vocational skills should be treated differently.

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