Build a solid public sentiment and cultivate moral integrity. Zhu Xufeng, Executive Dean of Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management. Speech at the 2022 opening ceremony of the School of Public Administration.

Build a strong sense of public sentiment and cultivate moral integrity

Executive Dean of Tsinghua University School of Public PolicyZhu Xufeng

Speech at the 2022 opening ceremony of the School of Public Policy

Dear teachers, classmates, and friends online:

Hello everyone!

Today, we held the 2022 opening ceremony of the School of Public Policy and Management both offline and online. August is just right, the sky is clear and the weather is clear. All the students have gloriously become students of Tsinghua University with excellent results, become a member of the Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management family, and start a new learning career. Here, on behalf of all the teachers and students in the school, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new students!

Among the students admitted this year, there are 45 doctoral students, 62 academic master students, and 409 students in various Chinese and English programs, MPA and double degrees. The students come from all over the world and have different professional backgrounds and growth experiences. Some of you have taken root in rural areas in the west and have gathered the power of education to fight poverty through supporting education and assistance; some of you have called attention to the coordinated social and economic development under climate change as "Rhodes Scholars"; and some of you have worked in international organizations and The forum actively speaks out and contributes youth wisdom to global governance solutions. From today on, the college's motto of "Being virtuous and serving the public" will become your common background.

2022 is an extraordinary year, with uncertainty surrounding us pushing the boundaries of what we know. Living in a world undergoing major changes unseen in a century, the intersection of "two centuries of " and the new stage of high-quality development of in the "14th Five-Year Plan" overlap. We are surrounded by changes everywhere, and we feel the same at the same time. Many challenges are coming. In the face of major international changes and domestic transformation, we should have a broad mind, a vision, and even more determination.

What is "determination"? Zhu Xi wrote in " Annotations on University Chapters and Sentences": "Knowing to stop can then lead to concentration, concentration can then lead to tranquility, tranquility can then lead to tranquility, tranquility can then allow one to think, and worry can lead to gain." Concentration is not just about standing still and sticking to your original intention. "Concentration" means transcending changes in the environment, embracing changes calmly, and being a leader in a changing world. Because Tsinghua people have always been the leaders of the times. The era of change requires us to persist in "steadiness" and be a "leader in the era of change." So, as public administrators at Tsinghua University, why do we call for “fixedness”? I would like to share with you some of my thoughts below.

First, there are social risks in the Uqa era. "Uka Era" is a word that appears frequently recently. It is the abbreviation of the four English words "instability, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity". In the current world, the COVID-19 epidemic is still ongoing, the traditional international governance system is experiencing a crisis, and global economic development and sustainable development are facing difficulties; on the other hand, people's inner world is experiencing greater conflicts, and the new generation of young people cannot see clearly. Discourses such as "future" and "direction", "anxiety" and "involution" in the public context are rampant. Social development and public governance in the Uka era are undergoing subversive changes. Facing an unprecedented risk society, only by responding to changes in the governance landscape with "determination" and maintaining the resilience of public management can we "open up a new chapter in the changing situation."

The second is the purity of public governance feelings. Public value is the most original temperament of the public management discipline. "Creating peace for all generations" is not only the sentiment of family and country that public managers should have, but also the basic point for us to raise and resolve every public governance issue. Governance issues and governance challenges are constantly changing, which requires public managers to uphold the "people who have a great heart for the country" emphasized by the General Secretary, face the changes with public sentiment and the determination of family and country beliefs, and make contributions to global public governance and China's public management undertakings. Make a contribution. Adhering to this original intention and determination should become the compass for every company's thinking and actions.

The third is the complexity of governance practical work. faces the real world. The issues that public management and public policy focus on are not "monolithic", but sometimes more about "balance" and "compromise", and the art of finding "optimal solutions" in an imperfect world. Conflicts between multiple stakeholders need to be balanced, games between different values ​​require collaboration, and the tension between theory and experience needs to be bridged.Entering a complex governance landscape, public managers need to be determined and find policy solutions with a calm and rational attitude.

So, how do we achieve "no worries, no confusion, no fear" and how to implement the training of determination? I would also like to mention some expectations for the students.

To strengthen our concentration, we need to have "belief in our hearts" and never forget the pursuit of our ideals. In an era of unprecedented abundance of information, where challenges and temptations coexist, we need to embrace ideals and beliefs, adhere to the consciousness, self-motivation, and self-confidence of Tsinghua public administrators, discard falsehoods while retaining truths in the torrent of information, and make firm choices at the crossroads of life. Here, I hope that the new class of students can take the initiative to learn and explore the origin and connotation of the school's motto "Being virtuous for the public". In future study and work, whether it is serving public undertakings or exploring the governance of China in the academic community, I hope that everyone can anchor themselves with "morality and public service." Determination is not only persistence towards the goal, but also knowing where to start.

To strengthen concentration, we need to "unify knowledge and action" and comprehensively temper and grow. Public Management is an interdisciplinary subject that integrates multiple knowledge systems. It especially requires students to take into account academic theory and social practice and hone themselves. Here, I hope that the new class of students can achieve the "Four Ones" during their studies, carefully read a classic book outside the "major", participate in a multi-disciplinary forum, and do volunteer services that have nothing to do with their grades. Participate in a social practice that goes into the mountains and rivers of the motherland. I hope that students can start from the multi-source public management theory, start from the mud-stained practical work, and anchor themselves in the tension between "should be" and "is." Concentration comes not only from the pursuit of knowledge and practice, but also from the understanding of the eternal conflict and unity of the two.

To strengthen our determination, we need to “reach no further” and maintain an open mind. China is moving to the center of the world stage, and public management has transcended the boundaries of nation-states and become the most powerful disciplinary force to deal with universal human governance issues. Here, I hope that the new class of students can open their hearts to students from different countries, regions and backgrounds in the college and complete a task together. This could be a group assignment in class, a team practice, or even a side-by-side fight on the court. I hope that students can anchor themselves in collisions, exchanges and cooperation with an open mind that spans nationalities and cultures. Concentration is not about clinging to the past, but always maintaining a yearning for the infinite distance and concern for the future of mankind!

Students, each generation has its own mission. As we welcome the victory of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, I hope that in the new era, you will build a solid public sentiment, cultivate your morality and determination, and set sail in the storm of the times. , Contribute to the new journey of the motherland and mankind!

Finally, I would like to welcome you all again to Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management! I wish all new students great success in their studies at the School of Public Policy and Management!