There is a so-called China Research Institute at Fudan University in Shanghai, which studies the rise of the Asian country from diverse perspectives. They follow different models, which are then compared to the processes taking place in their country. It follows that the China Research Institute focuses at least as much attention on events in the outside world as it does on the country’s internal processes. The institute is a fine example of the systematic learning process in which Beijing collects, kneads, and ultimately applies impulses from outside.
This knowledge-focused political culture has greatly contributed in recent decades to the fact that China now competes not only with the United States but also with the whole of Western civilization.
Song Luxing works at the Fudan University Institute, who in 2015 wrote a comparative analysis of Western democracies and the Chinese political system. According to the researcher, the rise of his country will continue with the constantly implemented reforms, while the West will lose its competitive advantage precisely because of its limited capacity for renewal.
In China, we have been thinking about nurturing talent for centuries, as we do in many other countries. It is no coincidence that the region receives special attention, and for Hungary the next generation is the most profitable investment
Zong responded to the index after inquiring about the campus of Fudan University in Budapest. He noted that he did not have much information about the plans in Hungary, but this was not the first time that a Chinese university had opened an institute in another country. We noted that the construction of the Budapest project has caused a lot of criticism in the Hungarian society, where, according to the plans known so far, the total investment cost will exceed 500 billion HUF, which will be partially covered by a loan from China. When asked about our funding, Shong Lucseng commented that he does not know the details, but in his opinion, the project cannot be judged from a business perspective.
The history of Fudan spans 100 years, and the history of the university is intertwined with the development of Shanghai. It is the most open city in China, with a large number of free-spirited and enlightened locals and foreigners alike.
Szong polished the mindset of the university, which is supported by the 30,000 young people who studied at Fudanon. But there were also articles in the international press about partisan politics that came to the fore at Fudan University. In 2013, Shanghai University also amended its statute, and the paragraph on freedom of science disappeared from the text. In this regard, the Chinese researcher said:
Research is not limited to anything in the university, but publishing results is not always allowed.
There is research that can even influence power relations. It is only allowed for internal use.”
Is Fudan really the “University of the Chinese Communist Party”? Szong did not deny the slogan of the Hungarian opposition, as he put it, it is a state institution, that is, it is directly under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. “The Chinese Communist Party is in power, its decisions, so its education policy also represents the will of the country. Thus, the relationship between the university and the central legal center is a legal and natural relationship.” There are also reasons to criticize the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
On the one hand, they also apply for Fudan training from the military, on the other hand, the People’s Liberation Army also carries out educational and scientific activities. Shanghai University is also interested in their knowledge in the field of international relations and military diplomacy.
The Chinese researcher added: “But the Fudan University faculty members also give lectures in the institutions of the People’s Liberation Army.” However, this does not mean that the Budapest campus will function as a branch of the party or the military. Szong could not say what training courses would be launched in Budapest, he said, all technical issues should be developed together with the cooperation of the two parties.
But the Fudan University project is under attack not only politically but also professionally, and the case has become an international scandal. szong Luxeng According to him, Western intellectuals are characterized by a general hatred of China, and the lack of objectivity leads to a kind of delusion.
Intellectuals must deal with the future and global humanity, rather than typically focusing on their country and the present. Researchers are not at the executive level, our mission is to support the community with new spirit and creative ideas. Unfortunately, there are currently gaps in the global intellectual elite
– I continued. He said the reason for resentment in the West is that many are unable to accept the fact that China has become a global power. However, this may frustrate politically, but the researcher must see clearly.
This will eventually be damaged by Western intellectuals. Asked about the index, Song said the future of Chinese higher education institutions, the United States and Europe will find it difficult to deal with the increasingly pressing challenges. On the one hand, ethnic conflicts have also emerged within the walls of universities, and demographic processes, immigration will only increase this pressure. As a result, the phenomenon of splitting Western higher education along with the training of elites and the masses is intensifying. While China is constantly developing, and constantly reforming its higher education, the researcher says that Western higher education is stagnant at best.
(Cover Image: László Róka / MTVA / Commission)
