The Specialist and the Generalist

    涂松u201013039

    Introduction :Why cannot our schools train the outstanding talents ?

    ---Qian xuesen

    The generalist is capable of seeing the forest rather than the trees. Though he does not know too much about any one field, he is able to take the whole into consideration at a glance.

     The specialist understands one field; his concern is with the technique and the tool. He is well trained with technical or professional knowledge suitable for his job.

    In the 1950s, our country needed full scale construction,and national construction needed a large number of professionals.We consciously or unconsciously studyed Soviet union, copying the Soviet specialist education mode. The result is a refinement and narrowing of disciplines.

    In the last thirty years, to adapt to the economic system reform and improvement of social life , higher education discipline system has been reforming.We may say, our higher education have broke through the Soviet model in aspects of knowing and practice.

    But, at the same time, another bad tendency has come into being.When we advocate general and liberal education, we seem to consciously or unconsciously negative professionals and specialist education, even reject them.This denial and exclusion does enormous harm to students, school and society.

    In fact, in any stage of the social development, Specialists and the generalists coexist, therefore, both liberal education and special education are the talent training mode and talents training target. As long as we know the pros and cons, It is not difficult to realize the target model and the consideration.

    In my opinion,we can improve China's higher education from the two angles. First,the government should found different levels and different types of universities .Industry and applied undergraduate colleges can stress on the professionals education; Comprehensive university should be engaged in a liberal education.

    Second,students should be given enough development space and the platform of self expression.As an old saying goes, interest is the best teacher, only let students find their own interests,can they make full use of their potential.

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