From "Quantity Accumulation" To "Quality Improvement"

After more than 60 years of exploration and practice,South-Central University for Nationalities has developed from the training course for minority cadres to a comprehensive university for Nationalities.It has established a discipline system with complete disciplines,distinct feature,a reasonable structure and a considerable scale.This study adopts the qualitative case study method,taking South-Central University for Nationalities as the research object.Through the objective presentation of the history of discipline construction of a single university for nationalities,this paper tries to provide a reference for deepening the reform of the colleges for Nationalities in the new era.The discipline construction of South-Central University for Nationalities has experienced from scratch,from less to more,from quantity accumulation to quality improvement.It can be roughly divided into five stages of development."Budding" stage(1951 to 1965).At that time,the college had not yet formed a clear concept of "discipline" and "discipline construction".The disciplines and specialities had obvious "political design"."Complete negation" stage(1966 to 1977).The liberal arts and sciences disciplines initially established by the college was seriously damaged,and the discipline construction entered a state of stagnation or even backwardness."Preliminary" stage(1978 to 1991).The discipline construction of the college had developed from scratch,covering graduate,undergraduate,specialist,cadre training department and preparatory department,etc.The school had transformed into a regular university with emphases on undergraduate education."Formative" stage(1992 to 200).Under the dual traction of state intervention and market mechanism,the discipline construction of the college had been from less to more.The college had grown into a university with comprehensive development of liberal arts,science,engineering,economics,management and other disciplines.The college had actively constructed a disciplinary structure suitable for the reform of market economic system,and set up a group of disciplines with national characteristics that meet the actual needs of ethnic minorities and ethnic areas."Improving" stage(from 2001 to now).The discipline construction of the college has been from quantity accumulation to quality improvement.The college strives for development with its own characteristics and pays more attention to the connotation construction of disciplines,building a comprehensive discipline system with high level and distinct characteristics.In the long-term practice,the discipline construction of South-Central University for Nationalities presents the characteristics of social adaptability,dynamic development,relative stability and systematic planning.It is the comprehensive development of many disciplines in terms of scale,quality,structure and efficiency,which are reflected in both the accumulation of quantity and the improvement of quality.It is formed by the interaction of many factors,mainly including three forces: one is the internal dynamic,that is,the objective law of knowledge development;the other is the external contradiction,that is,government intervention and social needs;and the third is the disciplinary community,that is,the interaction between intermediary organizations.In addition,the college is also facing many contradictions in the construction and management of disciplines,including three main contradictions: one is internal contradiction,that is,the contradiction between talent training and scientific research;the other is external contradiction,that is,the contradiction between following the market mechanism and meeting political needs;and the third is internal and external contradiction,that is,the contradiction between academic nature and practical nature.Finally,by summarizing and excavating the development context of discipline construction,we can provide beneficial enlightenment to promote the construction of "Double-First-Class",that is,facing the diversified needs,grasping the staged planning,consolidating the foundation of specialization,adhering to unbalanced development,and strengthening the construction of discipline groups.