The 2017 National Geological Science Base Class of our School of Geosciences "Red and Specialized Geologists" team did a very meaningful thing in 2019.They interviewed some of the geology teachers who had settled in Beijing after retiring from the China University of Geology (Wuhan) and asked them to recall the school's 1975 relocation from Beijing to Wuhan.These old teachers witnessed the many difficult and difficult scenes of the school moving from Beijing to Wuhan. They are the first-hand experience and creators of the school's Beijing Geological Institute → Hubei Geological Institute → Wuhan Geological Institute → China Geological University.Seeing this interview article brings back my deep nostalgia for many senior teachers in the school's traditional geology discipline.Although I belong to the school's geophysics faculty, for decades my teaching and scientific research has always adhered to the scientific research thinking and methodology that intersects with geology.In addition, I also gave several lectures on "Introduction to Geophysics" course "The Story of Four Post-80s Students, Science Network, December 19, 2016" to students of the National Geological Science Base.I also emphasized the importance of geophysics and geology principles in the intersection of geophysics and geology in my undergraduate and graduate teaching of geophysics.To this end, I have a lot of contacts with many old, middle and young teachers of geochemistry, rock mineralogy, tectonic geology and stratigraphic paleontology in the school's geology department.I also assist Prof. Lu Fengxiang (Continental Magnetic Field) and Prof. Yin Hongfu (Environmental Magnetic Field) in geology as associate supervisors to guide doctoral students.I expressed my deep respect for many senior teachers on the gratitude academic road, Science Network on August 10, 2018.I felt from these teachers the objective existence and authenticity of the "hard and simple, seeking truth and pragmatism" ethos of China Geological University.To this end, I exchanged this interview article with a senior professor in the Department of Geology about the teaching and scientific research inheritance of the school after moving south to Wuhan.The professor greatly appreciated my knowledge of the current situation of teachers in the geology department of the school.He told me that due to the current evaluation orientation of teachers focusing too much on scientific research, teachers' sense of responsibility for undergraduate teaching, especially the field geological teaching ability with practical disciplines.I joked: This is all a problem with the paper, and it needs to be corrected by school management decision makers and all teachers.
As we all know, the significance of undergraduate education lies in: on the one hand, it directly delivers high-quality talents for national economic construction and social development, and improves the scientific and cultural literacy of the whole nation.On the other hand, send qualified candidates for higher-level talent training (graduate students).Therefore, the importance of attaching importance to undergraduate education is self-evident.After completing his undergraduate and master's degree at the university, he completed his doctorate at a well-known overseas university, paying attention to undergraduate teaching, especially in the field.Therefore, in view of the weakening of the field geological investigation ability in geological teaching, he suggested that I write an article to urge schools to pay attention to the contribution of teachers in field geological teaching.
The senior professor's words remind us once again that universities must attach importance to undergraduate teaching, not reverse the whole story.Moreover, the main purpose of scientific research by university teachers, especially professional teachers, is to serve students and lay a good foundation for students' independent thinking and innovation.I have always believed that a high level of undergraduate education is far more meaningful than scientific research results (academic papers) that are only quantitative and lack innovative knowledge.Why Do College Teachers Do Scientific Research?Four of the five reasons listed in the April 16, 2019 Science Network are related to undergraduate education: First, scientific research experience and results are the material foundation and capital to create a famous university professor.Second, the "style" of university teachers engaged in scientific research can stimulate students' enthusiasm for learning.Third, university teachers can improve the teaching quality of the curriculum based on their own scientific research experience and achievements.Fourth, the scientific research process is conducive to teachers improving the thinking methods of curriculum teaching, optimizing the content structure of curriculum teaching, and improving the teaching quality.Fifth, the university is the main position to produce major scientific and technological achievements, and the university teachers are the main force of national scientific and technological innovation.
According to the nature of the natural sciences, earth sciences and life sciences and astronomy are open disciplines, and their research behavior and interpretation of results are uncertain to varying degrees, that is, non-uniqueness.It can be understood in popular terms that there are no identical geological phenomena on Earth, only similar geological phenomena.The research results of such disciplines strongly depend on actual observation, field investigation and indoor analysis experiments.The intrinsic relationship and regularity of geological phenomena are based on the statistics of large samples rather than on mathematical analytic relationships.Taking geology as an example, field geology practice belongs to the basic skill of students' undergraduate study. Obviously, our teachers need solid field geology observation ability and level first.Based on the observation and analysis of geological phenomena, including strata, rock minerals and tectonics, the earth's material composition and formation and evolution process are discussed.So far, I clearly remember the summer vacation of 1986 when I followed the professor of structural geology, then Vice-Chancellor Mr. Yang Wei Ran, in Henan Qinba area of many scenes of field geological investigation.As we explored along a ravine, he introduced me to the catchphrase for spot observation of geological phenomena: look far and near, look left and right, knock.This formula explains the basic process of field observation of geology."Far view" is to observe the macro-geological structure on a large scale, specifically to "near view", the material composition of the macro-structure is carefully examined."Looking left and right" refers to the analysis of the upper and lower disk relationship of some fault structures by comparing the spatial structure of the rock layers on both sides of the fault."Tapping" is the use of geological hammer to carefully observe the rocks and collect the corresponding rock samples in the laboratory using modern analytical test instruments to obtain information on the mineral composition and chemical composition of rocks.It can be seen that solid field geological investigation capabilities are by no means just skills, but an important part of geological science knowledge.
At the invitation of Professor Chan Lung-sheng of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Hong Kong in early 2002, I accompanied Professor Chan on a field trip to Dongpingzhou across the sea from Shenzhen.As far as I know, the geological field training site of the Department of Geoscience of the University of Hong Kong is mainly from the relevant representative geological phenomenon areas in the Mainland.Our school's three major geological practice bases: Beijing Zhoukoudian, Hubei Yichang Zigui, Hebei Qinhuangdao Beidaihe, which has been built for more than 60 years, have trained hundreds of thousands of national economic construction geological pioneers.Zigui and Beidaihe bases belong to the new practice bases established after moving south to Wuhan.The three geological practice bases have their own geological phenomena, which contribute to the geological science knowledge of the school and relevant universities in China.