Government think tanks and strategic scholars must attach importance to the construction of academic platforms - Speech at the Symposium on Commemorating the 94th Anniversary of the Founding of the Co

Comrades, since 2009, the institute has been proposing a key keyword related to the development strategy of the research institute every year, and will focus on discussing it during the mid year work conference. I always speak first, and then everyone discusses. I wanted to change the order this year. Let's talk first, and then I'll summarize. Seeking the opinions of several comrades, it is still advisable to follow the old practice. Let's just chat about the topic of "academic platform" for a while and throw a brick first. 1、 The "why" and "how" of academic platforms are the places where scholars settle down, which can be big or small. On a smaller scale, a course taught by a teacher, a field researched by a researcher, or a direction led by a discipline leader can all be turned into a platform. On a larger scale, physical think tanks such as research institutes, external research institutions, and tourism think tank alliances can also be regarded as academic platforms. In fact, the biggest platform is the country, the industry, and the era we are in. In terms of the relationship between the times, groups, and individuals, in my opinion, the first thing to consider is that "the times create heroes". Without the national consumer entities in the era of mass tourism, without the market entities driven by mass entrepreneurship and innovation, and without the macroeconomic regulation, micro supervision, and international cooperation needs proposed by the national tourism development strategy, the practical foundation for the existence of the research institute platform would not exist, let alone the development of each individual. It is in this sense that the transformation and development of tourism in major countries is the biggest platform for the growth of academic institutions and academic communities. It goes without saying that it is far back, even if we go back thirty or twenty years. In the era of foreign exchange orientation, immigration as the main mode of operation, and group tourism as the main mode of operation, the market is closed, the industrial boundaries are clear, and the government and industry have basically no requirements for theoretical innovation and ideological guidance from the academic community. Introducing the experience and models of developed tourism countries, teaching in universities, and writing essays for tourism bureaus are enough to enable scholars to settle down. In the next twenty to thirty years, with the realization of the two 'Chinese Dreams', mass tourism is bound to go through the middle and advanced stages and become more integrated into all aspects of national economy and people's livelihood. At that time, the academic division of labor in tourism will definitely become more refined. Perhaps we will be like tourism scholars in developed countries in Europe and America today, whose main task is to scientifically explain and further subdivide tourism phenomena, limited to the scope of academic community to speak and inherit. It is precisely in such an open, transformative, and unstable era that contemporary tourism scholars, including research institutes, have built the largest academic platform and given us the most scarce opportunity for macro theoretical construction. Compared to individual talent and effort, the era is indeed the biggest platform and opportunity. How can we say that 'the situation is stronger than people'? The second sentence was said by Chairman Mao, 'The people, only the people are the heroes who create history.'. The so-called people can be understood from at least three aspects. One is that the expanding scale, changing demands, and constantly evolving industrial practices of millions of citizens in the consumer market always pose new problems. The explanation and resolution of these issues are the inexhaustible source and driving force of theoretical innovation. The second is the academic community of thousands of researchers and educators who are spreading our ideas, revising our theories, and constantly proposing new academic perspectives. The third is for researchers, professional technicians, administrative staff, and postdoctoral fellows. The platform was built for you, and it was built step by step by you. He once exchanged views with the supervisor on related topics and said, 'No matter how much the organization recognizes your value, it must be understood that finding a dean among more than 1.3 billion people is an easy task, and it does not necessarily mean that you cannot lead this institution well.'. Of course, it may not be as exciting as what you brought. I think there may be something else he hasn't said yet: it could be another exciting thing. The reason why I am paraphrasing this sentence to my comrades today is to hope that they have a deeper understanding of the relationship between platforms, groups, and individuals. Emphasizing the opportunities of the times and the decisive role of the group does not mean giving up the demand for individual responsibility. On the contrary, under the premise of established external conditions, organizations also focus on leveraging the importance of individuals in platform construction and institutional development during specific periods. Why did Liu Bei visit the thatched cottage three times and invite Zhuge Liang out of the mountains? Why did Xiao He pursue Han Xin under the moon? Why did Chairman Mao specifically praise the generals of the People's Army led by the Communist Party, saying 'Who dares to wield a sword immediately, only General Peng?'? Why is it that only Li Bai can bear the weight of "half of the prosperous Tang Dynasty with just one puff of embroidery" among the many "big Vs" in Tang poetry's starry sky? Sometimes, we have to admit that 'one person wins the world'. Many times, history pushes someone to a certain position, to the center of the stage, not to enjoy the glory of the halo, but to shoulder the responsibilities bestowed by the times. If you forget what "although there are millions of people, I am gone" means, forget what "setting the heart for heaven and earth, setting the destiny for the people, continuing the ultimate learning for the future, and opening up peace for all eternity" means, when encountering problems, you will think of pushing them to the organization, system, and platform, and even engage in the "Mingzhe Baoshen" system to make everyone say hello. What if you write books and live by example? It is precisely because we recognize the crucial role of core figures and strategic scholars, as well as the cyclical nature of individual life and academic life, that we place greater emphasis on platform construction. Otherwise, once the core figure has a weakness, the strategic process of career development may suddenly fall into a low point. No matter how much praise is given to us by the outside world and others, we must soberly realize that without the support of the platform and the efforts of the team, without the inheritance of tradition and scholarship, and only relying on the foresight and hard work of three or two "capable people", no organization can be long-lasting. In the early stages of organizational establishment, everything is uncertain and there are not as many attractive benefits, so we can only rely on ideals to gather outstanding talents. When institutions take shape and entrepreneurial youth become "uncles", we clearly know that in order to continue attracting more followers, ideals alone are not enough. We also need realistic treatment, standardized discipline, and a platform for personal development. When it comes to education, we often quote the words of Mr. Mei Yiqi, the president of Tsinghua University, 'A university is not called a building, but a master' to motivate ourselves. But as the career develops, more masters are naturally needed. It's impossible to invite everyone from outside. Most of the time, it's necessary to build a large building, set up stages of all sizes, and gradually cultivate one's middle and junior teachers into masters. It is time for the research institute to systematically summarize its experience and steadily improve its level of building and platform construction. 2、 The achievements and experiences of academic platform construction since its establishment can cultivate excellent scholars, while strategic scholars or true academic leaders can amplify the role of the platform to the extreme, and even create new platforms. I really enjoy watching Peking Opera, and I have also organized my comrades to watch two shows. I wonder what everyone has seen? As stated by Dieyi in Chen Kaige's movie "Farewell My Concubine", Beijing opera is all about context. Due to the situation, if two or three dragons shuttle back and forth, it will be like a thousand troops and ten thousand horses. Due to the context, on an empty stage, artists divide flowers and willows, cross mountains and valleys, conquer cities and territories, vividly portraying the joys and sorrows of the lives of talented scholars, beauties, emperors, generals, and ministers. Without this empty table, without the eagerly awaited seat, no matter how hard you try, you cannot become a true character. But what? Even standing on this stage, some people have been standing for their entire lives as dragon sets - of course, dragon sets also have their own value, just like "wild lilies also have spring". Some people stand and become the shining horns on this stage. At the end of the day, the former regards singing opera as a means of livelihood, while the latter regards life, livelihood, and work as part of opera, ultimately because he/she was born to live for his/her seat. The so-called 'no madness, no survival' refers to these types of people. To be honest, the stage of the research institute cannot guarantee that every comrade will be trained into a role. From historical experience, whether it's a character or a strategic scholar who makes groundbreaking contributions to a discipline, they are often not cultivated, let alone appointed by any "Big Man". Instead, they grow through trials, perseverance, and the combination of natural talents and opportunities that are often encountered but not sought after, which is also the result of competition. You have to sincerely sing for Zu'er and have the ability to present the most exquisite works of art to Zu'er, so that Zu'er can elevate you to a role. Mentors can provide you with basic academic training, organizations can give you a platform to speak out, and leaders can give you a direction, but this "emotion" and "realm" can only be accumulated and enlightened by oneself. There is no way in this world to enjoy a normal life while embarking on the path of success. Not in the past, not now, and not in the future. The landmark achievement system of 18X was set at the Leting Conference in the summer of 2009, deployed as part of the discipline construction of the research institute and intended to serve as a platform for young people. Including the national tourist satisfaction survey and tourism economy monitoring and early warning project that later received awards from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, as well as the National Tourism Economy Laboratory and postdoctoral workstations, they are all building academic platforms and growth spaces for everyone. Looking back, the vast majority of comrades have made good use of these platforms. Compared to Comrade Qiongfeng, the theory and practice of tourist satisfaction have already become the feelings of frontline scholars; For example, Comrades Honghao, Yanfeng, and Huilin have gradually caught up with everyone in the fields of tourism accommodation, travel services, and destination awareness; For example, Comrades Zhong Guang, Zi Qian, Xiao Long, Yi Yi, and Xiao Yun not only excel in their respective fields, but also become academic leaders who set the stage for the team. This indicates that our platform strategy over the past seven years has been effective. We started thinking about the laboratory platform five or six years ago. The reason is a sentence from the supervisor: How can we tell that the research institute is an authoritative think tank? We can't just engrave the word "Doctor" on every comrade's forehead, can we? The speaker had no intention, but the listener had intention, so I started thinking about building a visible and tangible platform. At first, it was called the Tourism Economy and Policy Simulation Laboratory. Quickly, the institute made a decision to draw three comrades, Xiaoyun, Yiliang, and Chen Xu, from the limited number of researchers in each institution. Later, Comrade Huihui was recruited, along with two postdoctoral fellows, and parentheses were used to "prepare", which was considered to have erected the framework of the organization. I applied for the first phase of 8 million yuan in construction funds from the National Development and Reform Commission, and obtained a 200 square meter site for the second floor podium from the bureau. If someone has guns and a base, then we can start working! Next, we will work together with our colleagues to develop three major tourism econometric models: CGE, TSA, and I-O, and accumulate data bit by bit. You should know that the most labor-intensive and valuable things in humanities laboratories are not computers and large screens, but invisible things such as data, models, methods, and teams! Thank you for your recognition and dedication. In just a few years, we were awarded the brand of "National Tourism Economy Laboratory" by the National Tourism Administration, and achieved technological output in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Beijing and other places. We also obtained four software copyright registrations. Last year, it won the second Ulysses Award from the United Nations World Tourism Organization in conjunction with the "Tourism Economy Monitoring and Early Warning" project. Looking back, if we hadn't started the platform construction of the laboratory early, the new platform of the National Tourism Administration Data Center might not have landed smoothly in the research institute, and even the independent recruitment qualification for postdoctoral workstations might have been delayed for some days. The postdoctoral workstation platform, which can also be recorded in the development history of the research institute, is a project that was considered simultaneously at the beginning of the establishment of the institute and is not an easy task. During this process, the Ministry of Science and Technology, especially Comrade Shaoyan, made arduous efforts. It's really effective to learn while building! With the strong support of the National Museum Management Station and the National Tourism Administration, it quickly obtained approval, especially after six months of establishment, it obtained independent recruitment qualifications. We have now recruited two batches of 12 station personnel, both of whom work full-time in the institute, injecting fresh blood into the development of various undertakings of the research institute under the established staffing status. With these 'successors', we have achieved a breakthrough of zero postdoctoral funding this year, giving our' academic highland 'more confidence. If there is a postdoctoral fellow, there must be a postdoctoral co supervisor, which helps accelerate the growth of young scholars, especially academic leaders. It's one thing to learn on your own, it's another thing to grow with others. Without experience in cultivating high-level talents and leading teams, even if you hold senior professional and technical positions, it is difficult to become a strategic scholar. It is worth mentioning our academic promotion platform. When establishing the research institute, we proposed to set up a dedicated academic promotion department in the administrative sequence and obtained approval. But there is no established model to replicate what this institution is promoting and how to promote it. It still needs to be built and improved through exploration. Now, from the external publicity sub platform of the website, microblog, WeChat official account, the internal communication sub platforms such as Research Institute Newsletter, Half Month News, internal reference, express, and key newspaper, the conference platforms such as the annual tourism science conference, the industrial development forum, and the urban tourism strategy research conference, the quarterly academic achievements conference, media interviews, and the release of irregular annual reports, as well as the strategic cooperation platform of local governments, tourism enterprises, and relevant institutions, it has been formed. The results and news released by the research institute now may be comparable to the reading numbers of travel newspapers on their own platforms. Many domestic and foreign travel agencies and professional scholars have learned about research institutes and professional scholars through our official media and interviews. One day you will become the corner, don't forget this academic promotion platform! Of course, our party building, personnel, finance, and scientific research management also have various organizations and platforms, providing solid guarantees and foundational support for the development of our various undertakings. Thank you all for your recognition and dedication over the years! 3、 With the development of the national tourism economy, the construction and innovation of new think tanks, the growth of the international and domestic tourism academic community, especially young scholars, and the new requirements of the bureau's party group for the research institute, including the establishment of a national tourism data center, our platform construction is facing a new period of strategic opportunities and more complex and ever-changing challenges. What should I do? It's nothing but a deep sense of crisis, coupled with practical progress in daily work. At the annual work deployment meeting at the beginning of the year, I improvised four comprehensive adaptations, namely, fully adapting to the construction of a new type of think tank by the central government, fully adapting to the evolution of mass tourism from the primary stage to the intermediate and advanced stage, fully adapting to the "515 Strategy" deployed by the Party Group of the National Tourism Administration, and fully adapting to the needs of improving the size, structure, and level of academic teams. Due to the changes of the times and the complexity of the internal and external environment, a sense of crisis is everywhere and always present, often causing one to not sleep at night. No matter how others affirm the achievements of the research institute, we must have a clear understanding of the development stage ourselves. Despite having a seven-year history of establishment, compared to world-class think tanks, research institutions with decades of development history in other ministries, and especially top universities both domestically and internationally, the platform of the research institute is still relatively weak and in its early stages. We can summarize the gaps and directions of efforts in several aspects, such as the number of positions, funding guarantees, academic achievements, social reputation, and national influence, etc. The biggest gap, in my opinion, is that the stage is not big enough, the platform is not high enough, and there is still no endogenous driving force for self growth and a stable mechanism for sustainable development. Han Xin's deployment of troops is certainly beneficial, but there are also many difficulties involved! In the early stages of creation, with five or six people and seven or eight guns, it was still very good