Guest
Qiu Zhongning
Interview Background
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Shanghai's inception of building an international science and technology innovation center. In education, Shanghai is continuously leveraging urban resources to innovate science education models, enhance scientific education in the face of the policy of relieving students of excessive burdens from homework and off-campus tutoring, and support urban development. On this issue, we have invited Mr. Qiu Zhongning, Director of the Education Bureau of Jing'an District, to share with us some insights on the science education of Jing'an District and ideas for regional science education.
Host:
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Shanghai's inception of building an international science and technology innovation center. In education, Shanghai is continuously leveraging urban resources to innovate science education models, enhance scientific education in the face of the policy of relieving students of excessive burdens from homework and off-campus tutoring, and support urban development. Today, we have invited Mr. Qiu Zhongning, Director of the Education Bureau of Jing'an District, to share with us some insights on the science education of Jing'an District and ideas for regional science education. Hello, Mr. Qiu.
Qiu Zhongning:
Hello.
Host:
Could you share with us why there is such a strong emphasis on innovation in current basic education?
Qiu Zhongning:
The great value of basic education lies in protecting children's curiosity, transforming it into interests, and gradually developing it into passions and aspirations, enabling them to achieve limitless possibilities in the future. Science and technology innovation is an essential pathway to accomplish this goal. Jing'an has been consistently practicing in this regard: It is the only basic education unit participating in the China International Industry Fair[ZL1]; it conducts the research "Dream Star of Jing'an"; and it applies for a key project of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China titled "Activating Student Creativity: Practical Evidence-based Research on In-depth Teaching Reforms in Developed Urban Areas", seeking to find how to enhance and cultivate student creativity. In the future, science popularization and science and technology innovation education will be key approaches for Jing'an to enhance student creativity. Jing'an will improve its science education system through a coordinated design featuring "one body with two wings".
Host:
You mentioned that science and technology innovation education is a key area of focus for Jing'an. Could you provide some details of the ways you implement work in this aspect?
Qiu Zhongning:
Jing'an's science and technology innovation courses are designed systematically with "one body and two wings". The "one body" refers to science education with kindergartens and primary and secondary schools as the main body and national curriculum implementation as the basis that also encompasses school-related thematic science education activities. The "two wings" refer to two types of supplementary extracurricular educational activities: The first "wing" is the science education courses offered through activity centers, children's palaces, and science stations for the youth. In the past two years, the total number of registered students at activity centers, children's palaces, and science stations for the youth has exceeded 20,000. Jing'an has also established multiple science and technology innovation off-campus bases, which effectively promote science education by engaging surrounding schools. The second "wing" is the creation of the semi-entity Jing'an Mathematics and Physics Academy, which focuses on the cultivation of outstanding talent. The Academy opened in September of last year and initially provided high-level online and offline training in artificial intelligence-related courses for 59 high school students who voluntarily registered. Additionally, interested students were supported in participating directly in project research. This group of students has now completed the first phase of their studies, and the feedback from the students has been very positive. Moreover, Jing'an District has built over 70 distinctive innovation laboratories, covering various fields such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, energy, information technology, and aerospace. Targeting all students in the district, we have coordinated several innovation laboratories to explore a mechanism for regional co-construction and sharing. The "Personalized Learning Appointment Platform for Primary and Secondary School Students of Jing'an District" enables self-service appointments. It creates new learning avenues for high school students with spare energy to learn after school and offers a diverse innovation practice experience platform for students with innovative interests and potential. The platform expands students' extracurricular learning and research space, while gradually achieving the iteration and upgrading of regional innovation laboratories.
Host:
Great. Only with a fertile ground for science popularization education, can seeds sprout and grow better. So, in specific courses, are there any reforms or adjustments that have been made concerning science and technology innovation?
Qiu Zhongning:
Jing'an's science education focuses on courses and emphasizes students' specialties. Schools adopt an in-depth integrated teaching approach and integrate multiple subjects, including information technology, labor skills, nature, science, morality & rule of law, and others, creating a new model for the localized implementation of national courses. Jing'an is continually innovating its teaching organizational forms and operational mechanisms. For instance, Shanghai Shixi High School has implemented the "Square of Thinking", while Shanghai Xinzhong Senior High School utilizes the "Walking Classroom". These initiatives, which complement administrative classes, teaching classes, and other teaching organizational forms, coordinate resources and conditions such as teacher dispatching, class arrangement, student management, and teaching supporting facilities to support the implementation of flexible class-based teaching and the development of interdisciplinary courses. Shanghai Fenghua High School has developed the "DIS+ Curriculum", allowing students to experience the integration of digital technology and subjects in comprehensive science laboratories and its boundary-less learning space. Some schools have incorporated science and technology education into other courses and activities, such as student clubs, after-school services, science and technology festivals, social practice and investigations in spring and autumn, and debate competitions. They organize a variety of content-rich and form-diverse activities themed on science exploration and technology innovation.
Host:
What platforms in Jing'an offer students opportunities to engage in learning about science and technology innovation and hands-on practice?
Qiu Zhongning:
Jing'an has launched the "Dream Star" project, using the Home of Science and Technology Innovations as its base to further advance the science and technology innovation education service project: Jing'an youth scientific experimental satellite—"Dream Star of Jing'an". It plans to launch a science experimental satellite developed and designed independently by the youth of Jing'an in 2026. Jing'an has made the utmost of the function benefits of the "Creative Dream Factory" and "Youth Academy of Sciences" innovation platforms to provide students in the district with personalized innovation practice opportunities. It has also conducted a series of activities such as science and technology "cloud classrooms", "cloud events", and "cloud exhibitions", attracting more than 25,000 total visits. Moreover, Jing'an has utilized the advantages of local resources such as the Shanghai Natural History Museum and the Shanghai Shibei Hi-tech Park to enhance cooperation between museums and schools, as well as between enterprises and schools. This allows students to experience firsthand the endless charm brought by science and technology. Through classes by masters, lectures by academicians, science popularization lectures, and other face-to-face interactions with masters, students have developed a greater interest and passion for science, allowing the seeds of scientific curiosity to gradually grow and mature.
Host:
In the past two years, a plethora of science and technology innovation competitions have emerged. Would you encourage students to spend a significant amount of time participating in these competitions? In what aspects do you think these competitions will benefit the students? Is Jing'an District currently organizing any of these types of competitions?
Qiu Zhongning:
Jing'an District actively encourages students to participate in a variety of competitions. Regardless of whether they win awards, the entire process serves as a significant motivator for them, providing an opportunity for active practice and social engagement. The competitions gradually help in cultivating their aspirations and embody the core values of basic education. Jing'an proactively organizes and guides students to participate in various science and technology competitions, creates opportunities for students with different science and technology specialties to demonstrate, practice, compete, and improve their competitiveness, and encourages students to grow: It adopts a combination of online and offline forms, and organizes and participates in about 50 municipal-level science and technology competitions of various types every year; more than 40 district-wide competition selection activities have been carried out, with nearly 15,000 students participating, such as the Shanghai Adolescents Science and Technology Innovation Contest, the Shanghai Million Youths Competition for Tomorrow's Science & Technology Star Selection Activity, the Shanghai Maker Star Competition, the Yangtze River Delta Youth Artificial Intelligence Olympic Challenge, and the Shanghai Youth Science Ideas & Practice Challenge. Furthermore, Jing'an also organizes and participates in science and technology competitions at the national level and above, including the selection activity for the OM (Odyssey of the Mind), the VEX World Championship China Finals Playoffs, and the Global Natural History Day Global Finals. In the past two years, Jing'an has consistently ranked among the top performers, with teams participating in the world finals each year. At the 45th OM World Finals[ZL2] in May, two teams from the Shanghai Daning International Elementary School won the primary school group championship in the AI Tech-NO-Art and Rocking World Detour divisions, respectively.
Host:
Thank you, Mr. Qiu, for your detailed response. Lastly, I would like to ask where you believe the key lies in promoting science and technology innovation education in the future.
Qiu Zhongning:
Teachers are the key to nurturing students. Based on research and training, Jing'an District has continuously improved teacher quality. It organizes regular meetings for science and technology instructors each semester to promptly arrange and implement various science and technology competition activities. It utilizes various formats such as special lectures, hands-on practice, case discussions, visits and investigations, and exchange forums to implement open and diverse professional research and learning activities. These activities center on increasing theories and knowledge in science and technology education, course development, education, and teaching, student training and competition guidance, and activity organization and planning, actively enhancing the on-post competencies of science and technology teachers in schools. Only by cultivating a strong team of teachers can we create a positive loop in science education, making science popularization education and science and technology innovation education in Jing'an more solid, comprehensive, and vibrant.
Host:
Thank you once again, Mr. Qiu, for your sharing. You have provided us with a deeper and more concrete understanding of the future direction of education in Jing'an District. Today's interview comes to an end here. Thank you, everyone.
[ZL2]中国队喜获第45届世界头脑奥林匹克五个冠军头衔 | 感知上海