Well-spoken teacher dismissed due to lack of dissertations
By Guan Xiaomeng (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-12-01 15:01

Zhu' s lack of dissertations is not due to his inability to write one. According to Professor Li, some of Zhu's teaching achievements including his academic thoughts and teaching Power Points deserve titles of research achievements. But unfortunately, teachers skilled in teaching have no access to prizes or promotion under the current system.

Students tried to persuade him to write dissertations to get an academic title. "Oh, but I haven't worked out mature thoughts so I'd rather not publish it," Zhu smiled to his students.

Actually, he has a thick copy of book draft for western art history that he has spent four years working on. However, he refused to publish it several times despite the publisher's urging because he himself wasn't satisfied with it.

"I will write dissertations after I finish the book," Zhu said. "But I won't pump out low quality ones simply for the sake of promotion."

Zhu has never sought promotion or housing. Instead, what he solely values is how his students see him. "Students are my life," he said. In return, his students pay their great respect to their much-loved teacher.

In Zhu's room, miscellaneous accessories and local specialties are everywhere. "They are gifts from the students," Zhu said. Despite his current embarrassing unemployment and low salary, he becomes grateful whenever he looks upon the gifts, as they remind him of his students.

Students of Zhejiang University feel awfully sorry about their former teacher. "He is the pride of the university," said one student. The students complain that it is a great pity for the university to have dismissed such a skilled teacher as Zhu.

Zhu's view of teaching and his dismissal have sparked wide public discussion.

A government official said that teachers are basically responsible for teaching and skilled teachers should be promoted or praised.

A net citizen of people.com pointed out that university teachers' research achievements are under quantitative evaluation while their teaching qualities lack such a fair evaluation system.

Also, a Beijing citizen surnamed Du said Zhu having no access to promotion is due to lack of dissertations but his dismissal is the result of a faulty teachers' appointment system.

After all, even for research-oriented universities, teaching is still their top responsibilities.