In order to promote course studies’ function in graduate education and improve the quality of courses, the Graduate School hosted the conference of trial of courses development for graduate students of academic master’s degree in the afternoon of March 12th. Those present at the conference were Tao Tao, executive dean of the Graduate School, Chen Gong, deputy dean of Graduate School, Xue Chenglong, vice director of Office for Academic Affairs, Prof. Fang Ying, deputy dean of College of Economics, Prof. Xu Di, deputy dean of College of Management, Prof. Yuan Youzhu, deputy dean of College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, assistant professor Liu Yongguang, director of Teaching and Research Office of School of Law, and assistant professor Niu Linlin, assistant to the dean of WISE.
Deputy Dean of the Graduate School Chen Gong stated that Xiamen University has been announced as one the pilot units of courses development for graduate students of academic master’s degree by Ministry of Education and allocated specific funds for the course development. The Graduate School would soon start the trial and carry out the plan of forming star courses. The conference mainly discussed how to put the plan of course development trial into practice and setting standard for course development.
At the conference, the professors reported the present situation and problems of graduate course development in their own college/school and also shared suggestions for the forthcoming trial.
Tao Tao, executive dean of the Graduate School, summarized that graduate courses should focus on research, rather than repeating undergraduate courses. The course development should take examples from graduate courses in first-level programs in the world; the pilot college/school should develop one or two key courses of first-level programs and conduct overall reform in selecting course teachers, designing course content, measures of examination and depth of instruction, carrying out the trial from examination difficulty and strictness. Moreover, he expected that the colleges/schools related could associate course development with scientific research, selecting teachers with highly scientific research ability as the chief instructor to bring the latest achievements of the discipline into classes and thus enhancing the quality of graduate education.
Organized by the Graduate School and endeavored by colleges/schools concerned, Xiamen University has been selected as a pilot unit of course development trial for graduate students of research master’s degree directed by the Department of Degree Administration and Graduate Education of Ministry of Education in 2014 and received 550 thousand fund. Course development trial for graduate students of academic master’s degree is essential to fulfill Announcement of Improving Course Development for Graduate Students of Academic Master’s Degree of Ministry of Education by the Department of Degree Administration and Graduate Education as well as improve the quality of graduate education. The purpose is to provide valuable experiences for other training units by supporting some units’ trial for demonstrating and encouraging. The trial will be launched in College of Economics, College of Management, School of Law, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering that have distinguished themselves in the revise of Training Program.
