Study On Undergraduate Research Training At Research Universities

The international competition is increasingly fierce, and the competition advantage of the innovative nation, whose strategy is based on science and technology innovation, becomes more and more obvious. However, cultivating science and technology talents is the foundation of science and technology innovation. Undergraduate period is an important stage of cultivating science and technology talents, so universities should pay more attention to the effect of undergraduate research training, especially the research universities. Based on this, extensive literature reading and thinking are done to expound the origin and development of undergraduate research, and the general situation and organization management of our Chinese Student Research Training Program. Then, school management, mentoring and teamwork are summed up as the three main factors which influence the output of undergraduate research training. And on this basis, the paper chooses Tongji University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Southeast University as samples to introduce three management modes:student self-management model, supervisor management model and school integrated management model. By comparison and analysis, the paper highlights school integrated management model. Considering the possibility of sampling, and in order to further understand the effect, questions and factors that affect the success of the program, the paper treats Nanjing University as a case, through questionnaire to do the analysis. From school management, mentoring and teamwork the three important dimensions, the questionnaire tries to know the whole situation, which is from preparation, title selection, implementation and concluding. Then, the questionnaires are sent to undergraduates who finished the program in December,2011. At the same time, for continuing analysis and discussion the success and questions of Student Research Training Program in Nanjing University, interview is also done. Finally, in order to promote the development of undergraduate research training in Chinese research universities, this paper puts forward five suggestions. First, research universities should establish the status of undergraduate research training in the system of talents training in research universities. Second, supervisors should consciously put an end to "scientific research workers" to stimulate students’interest in scientific research. Third, the team leader should play an important role to enhance team cohesion. Fourth, research universities should enrich scientific research forms to improve students’participation. Fifth, research universities should sound research supporting mechanism to guarantee students’scientific research achievement.