Liu Tiegen: The Light in the Heart

"Tianjin University is like an edifice for educating. The demand of the state and society is the roof of the edifice. The talent training plan formulated by the university is the multiple pillars of the edifice. At the same time, the building also needs sunshine, which is the teacher's love and responsibility for the students, because the light can not only illuminate every corner, but also give students hope and guidance, so that everyone who is chasing for their dream can reach to the destination where the light shines.” Liu Tiegen, School of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering teacher said in a keynote speech at the conference on comprehensive reform of talent training held by Tianjin University from November 29, 2019 to December 9, 2019.

On December 9, 2019, at the closing of the comprehensive reform conference of talent cultivation of Tianjin University was held in the lecture hall on the first floor of Zheng Dong Library of Peiyang Campus. The meeting generated the new talent cultivation plan of Tianjin University and put forward the concept of “Five Excellences" and "Three Involvements ".

Liu Tiegan said in his speech that the teacher should act as a sensor, a demodulator and a detector in the process of students' growth. "Teachers should be sensors in the whole process of students' growth. On the one hand, teachers need to be sensitive to the needs of students at all stages of their development like sensors, to be able to feel the expectation of students for professional knowledge and the confusion of future planning, to be able to feel the demand of postgraduate students for academic frontier and the desire for international vision; on the other hand, the tutor should transform his years of academic accumulation into effective information output in order to meet the diverse needs of students, so that students can know what they want to learn the moment they enter the school , how to learn and know what their career orientation is by the time they graduate.

"Teachers should act as a demodulator in the process of students' growth. As a teacher, we should not only teach students from books, but the truth of doing things and the valuable qualities of active learning, as well as teach students how to behave and how to learn and explore the world. Teachers should encourage and inspire students in terms of emotion, attitude and values, and influence students with their good qualities at ordinary times. Teachers should use appropriate methods to mobilize the students' initiative of active learning, cultivate students' courage to question. Pay attention to problems in students' lives and give personalized suggestions when necessary to help them out of their confusion.

"The teacher should be the detector of students' growth. It is the first duty of every teacher to serve the needs of every student. Teachers in different positions have different responsibilities for educating. The school has sorted out the corresponding post responsibility requirements of each group in the school, and as teachers, they should make a high-precision tester against the standards.

The education that teachers impart are a bright light in the students’ lives. Moral education guides the students’ direction of advance, cultivate students' devotion to family and country, a light that encourages students to establish a correct outlook on life and values, and be reliable national successors; intellectual education cultivates first-class talents for the times and the country, and makes students qualified builders of the country; physical education –helps students become strong, learn to abide by rules, overcome setbacks, be independent, and learn to be united; aesthetic education teaches students to discover beauty, to encourage them to pursue truth, goodness and beauty; labor education cultivates students' labor consciousness and basic labor skills, to shape students' feelings of serving others, contributing to society and serving the country; students absorb the light that is shone on them by their teachers, allowing them to surpass to continue to radiate that light onto others and each other."

Li Tiegen communicates with students often and he believes students should have a well-rounded education that includes the development of morality, intelligence, health, beauty and labor. Because morality is the foundation of human life, intelligence is the key to success, physical health is the foundation of life, beauty is spiritual demand, and labor is the way to success. Only in this way, can students achieve a brilliant life.

By: Li Zongmei

Editors: Gabriela Venegas, Sun Xiaofang