GUANGZHOU, China — Tsinghua University, one of China’s most famous academic institutions, moved quickly to turn the financial crisis into an opportunity to enact reforms that would alter the university’s destiny. It was one of the first colleges in the world to face the monumental task of figuring out how to deal with the virus. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus began to spread fast in China in January 2020, the university questioned if it would have to postpone the start of school in February. It was able to avert this situation by transferring all classes online in less than a month. The institution is looking for an IT-driven future as it celebrates its 110th anniversary this year. Legions of students bicycle between buildings on Tsinghua’s huge campus, adjacent to Wudaokou, a neighborhood in Beijing’s northwestern suburbs, during weekday mornings and evenings. Most pupils wear masks, which are the only visible indicator that the pandemic is still there. However, there has been a significant shift in how classes are taught. Hybrid classes were introduced in the autumn semester, which began in September. Traditional face-to-face instruction is combined with online learning activities in these classes. Overhead monitors have been erected in most classes to introduce the new system. Many students have already returned and are receiving teaching one-on-one. However, the university has a history of taking a significant number of international students, and the pandemic has rendered many of those from hard-hit nations unable to return. As a result, classes are also available online. Students can now see video recordings of their classes via a smartphone app. The system has been well-received. “It’s incredibly convenient,” a graduate student said, adding that the app may also be used to obtain study materials. Tsinghua began in 1911 as “Tsing Hua Imperial College,” a preparatory school for a scholarship program for Chinese students to study in the United States, which was sponsored by some of China’s reparations to America after the Boxer Rebellion.
In 1911, Tsing Hua Imperial College, the forerunner of Tsinghua University, was established in Beijing.
Tsinghua University is widely regarded as one of China’s premier universities, rivaling Peking University. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his predecessor, Hu Jintao, are among its alumni. In numerous rankings, Tsinghua has been ranked as Asia’s best university. When the first wave of COVID-19 infections hit China, the institution contemplated deferring the start of the semester, which was scheduled for February 2020. “As the latest coronavirus outbreak became more dangerous, we felt we had no alternative but to postpone the semester,” said Yang Bin, the university’s vice president. “Three teachers, on the other hand, recommended using the crisis as a chance to [incorporate] technology into the classroom. In response to their proposition, we decided to make a complete change to online learning.” Yang and Tsinghua University President Qiu Yong had attended the World Economic Forum’s annual conference in Davos, Switzerland, in January of that year. China was in the midst of a national health crisis when he came home. Wuhan, the pandemic’s epicenter, was shut down on Jan. 23. But it was too late; the virus had already spread throughout China and the rest of the world. The only way to start the spring semester on time seems to be to cancel all in-person classes and move all courses online. Was that, however, possible?
In April, students ride their bicycles around the university campus.
Yu Xinjie, a professor in the department of electrical engineering and a researcher in magnetoelectric materials, intelligent optimization, and other fields, was approached by the university. Yu is regarded in China as a pioneer in the use of MOOCs, or massive open online courses, which are open to anybody. He was given the duty of leading a 15-person team in the transition of all classes to the internet. Yu emphasizes that online classes must be of the same high quality and effectiveness as in-person classes. Online classes were already available at Tsinghua University, but they were only supplemental. The system was not up to the task at hand.
In September 2020, Tsinghua University launched a hybrid program that combines in-person and online learning. (Tsinghua University provided the image.)
Another stumbling block was that just approximately 400 professors, or little more than 10% of the entire faculty, had prior experience teaching online. On Feb. 3, the institution put a platform to the test with the help of all of its 50,000 students. The trial was marred by delays and other issues. Yu’s team spent two weeks preparing all faculty members who will be teaching online while working overnight to improve the system. It generated a list of issues that needed to be handled, such as what steps should be taken if students’ connections went down during class or if a professor’s home experienced a power outage. The attempt to leave no stone unturned paid off with a seamless rollout. The spring semester began on February 17th, and almost 4,000 courses were provided online. In the autumn, the institution resumed in-person instruction, but many students — the university has 3,000 international students — were unable to return to campus. Tsinghua University began offering hybrid classes in response to the challenge. It was an attempt to ensure that students who were unable to get to campus did not have to drop out of classes or stop going to school completely. Vice President Yang is optimistic about the effectiveness of this strategy and the institution’s financial health. “We have no financial issues,” he stated emphatically. “The majority of pupils have already returned, and life has returned to normal.” The institution also intends to provide more online campus experiences.
President Qiu Yong of Tsinghua University talks at a ceremony commemorating the university’s 110th anniversary in April. (Tsinghua University provided the image.)
President Qiu spoke about Tsinghua’s success in reacting to the pandemic during an event commemorating the university’s 110th anniversary on April 25. “Amid the challenge of dealing with the novel coronavirus, the institution led the reform of online education and demonstrated how universities should respond in the face of such a catastrophe,” he said. “To make our university even more open, we will burst past the physical space barrier.” Tsinghua University has received several enquiries about its all-classes-online program from other universities, and it plans to expand its collaboration with other academic institutions both at home and abroad. Through its efforts to carve out its IT-powered future, the world-renowned education and research institution is exhibiting its adherence to its slogan of “self-discipline and societal commitment.”/n
