Jeffrey S. Lehman: a key contributor to China’s educational reform

At the end of the interview, Mr. Lehman talked with earnestness about China’s educational reform, “The commitment to be experimental, to be brave, to be fearless, to be willing to make mistakes is absolutely key to building a world-class educational structure. And I think it is really important that, especially when the world around us is changing so quickly, that Chinese universities continue to evolve as they have been more in the direction of an experimental learning culture, where the notion is students must be active learners, they must be shown how to ask their own questions, how to pose their own challenges and develop their own answers. Even if they're wrong, they have to welcome mistakes. I think what is going on right now in Chinese universities is to bring about that kind of cultural shift, to bring about that kind of a philosophy where everyone is told: You must not be afraid to fail. We learn from our failures. And that’s how breakthroughs are made, and I think that is really where Chinese universities are headed.”

(Wishes for the ongoing process of reform and opening up from Mr. Lehman)

Story by Wu Qiong

Photographer: Liu Xiaojing

Cameraman: Liu Hao