Recently, To 100-year-old Nankai University: Recalling Your History by Means Translation and Staying True to the Original Aspiration, serial book for Nankai University students’ ideological and political education, was published by Nankai University Press. The book was composed by teachers and students of NKU, and sponsored and published by the University Ideological and Political Training and Research Center (Nankai University) and Tianjin University Ideological and Political Education Research Base (Nankai University).
Regarded as a present for the centennial anniversary of Nankai University, the book To 100-year-old Nankai University: Recalling Your History by Means Translation and Staying True to the Original Aspiration was written to further implement the spirit of the National College Ideological and Political Council. It centers on the fundamental task of virtue cultivation and fostering of talents, trying to stitch the education on student’s ambition and belief with the education of school history. Students will be able to learn school history through translation, cultivate virtue while studying, which can make the education of school history a “second classroom” for students to read Nankai University, learn about China, and express their feelings and inspire them to become the NKers who are equipped with “virtue and talents, dedication and capability”. The book has been in preparation since 2016. It has been compiled by the Communist party members among teachers and students in NKU, successfully viewed as the established outstanding projects for school-level and city-level counselors. It was officially published in August 2019. The book is divided into three chapters: “President of Nankai University and Patriotism”, “The School Motto of Nankai University and the Socialist Core Values”, and “Nankai Alumni and the Practice of ‘Dedication and Capability’”.
“President of Nankai University and Patriotism” contains 14 articles selected from school history materials like “The Complete Works of Zhang Boling”, “Zhang Boling’s Philosophy on College”, “Zhang Boling’s Witty Maxim on Education”, and “Nankai University Weekly”. It covers important documents such as works, words, official documents, correspondences, proposed rules and regulations and many speeches issued by Zhang Boling, the first president of NKU. “The School Motto of Nankai University and the Socialist Core Values” includes 11 articles selected from “The School Motto and the Socialist Core Values”, covering the classic interpretation of the school motto made by Zhang Boling, Yan Fansun, Zhou Enlai, Wen Jiabao, Gong Ke, Shen Yunwen and other pioneers and alumni. “Nankai Alumni and the Practice of ‘Dedication and Capability’” compromises 20 articles, including the advanced deeds of 20 outstanding Nankai predecessors represented by Chen Xingshen, Wu Dayou, and Cao Yu. The content is clear and the characters are lively in which the Spirits “Adhering to Dedication and Exerting Capability” and “Harder, Braver” are perfectly demonstrated.
The content of each chapter strictly sticks to the model of translating while studying: “Search for history—discussion—Translation and Introduction—Improvement”. They searched for the history of NKU, collected the stories of NKU by means of “Three Walks”—walk into the school history research room, walk around the campus, walk to the news and media, to select materials from a large number of books and periodicals. They built the think tank of translation for outstanding student party member translators, supervised by teacher party member with professional translation skills. It has been complied into book after the school history research center gave guidance, several experts offered feedbacks, and professional teachers and different groups took review. The stories of NKU in Chinese and English version are the manifesto of Nankai Spirit. Via three themed exhibitions, two campus tours, one school-level special seminar, the book will be promoted to Nankai alumni worldwide for several times.
The book has vividly presented the scenario that Nankai University has always stood with China and Chinese people over the century for the contemporary NKers. It has deeply impressed the contemporary NKers with the school motto of “Dedication to public interests, acquisition of all-round capability, aspiration for progress with each passing day” upheld by the founding father of NKU, the president of NKU and countless people with lofty ideals who have come out of NKU. It has evocatively expressed the wish of NKers that they want to fully implement their edge on language and let the world hear the voice from NKU. In addition, the process of writing the book is also an exploration for the integration of professional practice and ideological and political education. Foreign language learners use their professional expertise to express Nankai students’ most accurate understanding on Nankai spirit in their own ways, which not only consolidates their beliefs but also improves their professional skills. The educational approach of “school history and college history + professional practice + party member education” explored by them also provides a reference for party member education on college students.
