Speech by Dai Bin at the Symposium on Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China and Internationalization Strategy at the China Tourism Research Institute

On July 15, 2011, Dai Bin delivered a speech at the China Tourism Research Institute to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the internationalization strategy seminar. The full text is as follows:

The International Perspective and Discourse System Construction of Tourism Academic Research

Comrades: Just now, Comrades Shaoyan and Yiyi talked about some ideas for international development from the perspectives of management and business respectively. I am thinking that while international construction should consider the connotation, research results, and forms of expression, more attention should be paid to value orientation and development strategy. The internationalization focus of tourism research should consider the construction of an international perspective and discourse system. In the past three years, we have combined thematic discussions with mid year work and party building work, unified the founding ideology through collective learning and thematic discussions, and clarified the direction of work for the next period. This has gradually formed the tradition of our institute. On the first anniversary of the establishment of the institute in 2009, we visited the former residence of Comrade Li Dazhao in Leting, Hebei Province, who spread early communist ideas and promoted the founding of the Communist Party. We learned from his dedication to the world and the scholarly spirit of "shouldering morality with iron shoulders and skillfully handling articles". On the second anniversary of its establishment in 2010, we traveled to Shaoshan, Hunan. If Li Dazhao introduced Marxist thought into China, then Comrade Mao Zedong combined the basic principles of Marxism with China's national conditions and established a new China that stood up. In the third year of its establishment, we had originally planned to visit and study in Guang'an, the former residence of Comrade Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of China's reform and opening up. Due to some objective reasons, it was not possible to proceed. We hope that comrades can learn and think more based on research. Through systematic study and on-site insights into the history of the Party, we can find that in the process of the founding of New China and economic and social development, practice has never left the guidance of theory, which is also an important tool for our Party to lead the people to achieve the three major victories. Although material incentives can attract a group of people, in the long run, it also depends on the recognition of ideals and ideas, as well as discipline. I would like to take some time to talk about the internationalization development direction and overall strategy of Chinese tourism academia, as well as the specific work plan of the research institute. These ideas are integrated and mutually supportive with our discipline construction, talent cultivation, and future academic achievement construction. Comrades, do not look at the annual work priorities separately. They are all centered around the founding principles and guiding ideology of the institute. These ideas and work arrangements have been reflected in the 12th Five Year Plan of the research institute. We hope that comrades will study and gradually implement them in conjunction with their daily work. 1、 In terms of development philosophy, we must adhere to the organic integration of international perspective and local consciousness. Whether it is the construction of the Party, the development of the country and society, or the evolution of different civilizations, they have always grown and developed through communication and interaction. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Confucius traveled to various countries and visited Laozi, which was also a collision of different civilizations in history. Academic research should have an awareness of cultural and civilizational communication. If we want to have a place in the international academic system, we should stand higher and consciously incorporate scientific research into the process of world civilization to understand it. Only in this way can we have a different perspective on problems. I once visited Sun Yat sen University and saw the undergraduate photography laboratory, where students used photography to recreate famous paintings and scenes from the Renaissance period. Although there are some traces of performance and even a bit awkward, it is rare for majors with a background in science and engineering to integrate humanistic thinking. From a long-term historical perspective, different elements of civilization always grow independently in specific geographical spaces. When growing to a certain extent, there will be competition or integration, and some civilizations will gradually stand out, while others will disappear. The Hundred Schools of Thought Competition is the ecological guarantee for the evolution of civilization. The expulsion of the Hundred Schools of Thought in the Han Dynasty gradually solidified the vibrant civilization. Therefore, people should be encouraged to explore freely in different directions. In the field of tourism, I have never advocated for a unified academic map, because the lack of unity in basic viewpoints and even the immaturity of basic theories may be a manifestation of the vitality of this discipline. Moreover, the formation of a map is not something that can be accomplished by any individual or even generation, but rather the result of the natural evolution of the academic community. Of course, there will be conflicts between civilizations, but more often it is mutual communication and integration. On the path of internationalization, we must adhere to the exchange and integration of different civilizations, mutual learning and competition, which is generally conducive to the evolution of world civilization. This may not make the world a better place, but it can certainly guarantee that the worst outcome will not occur. We go global not to defeat others, nor to show off ourselves, but to shoulder the common responsibility of all mankind in the process of joint participation and mutual communication. If you feel inferior to others and proud of yourself when you are stronger than them, you will never be able to remain calm and composed. To integrate tourism research of a country, region, or ethnic group into the world, it is necessary to have an international perspective and a sense of shared responsibility. This requires us to grasp and understand the common and universal values of all humanity with a sense of responsibility, and to respect every heterogeneous civilization from the bottom of our hearts. The internationalization of academic research always needs to be undertaken by specific institutions and individuals, therefore, the local awareness of academic institutions and scholars is equally crucial. Mr. Lin Huaimin from Taiwan is also the founder and head of the Cloud Gate Dance Theater, which I highly admire. When he performed abroad, he changed one of his representative works, "Family Chorus," to English and later back to Mandarin. He said: Dignity is more important than being understood. In fact, the opera "La Dame aux Cam é lias", which is definitely a classic of world culture, has been performed in French all over the world. So, when we step into the world, we must prioritize dignity and confidence. Of course, dignity is not about sacrificing face, and confidence is not about blind arrogance. It is about having a high degree of recognition of one's own country and nation's history, and a high sense of responsibility for local issues, in order to remain humble and confident in international exchanges, truly achieving inner and outer expression. Academic research cannot do without methods and tools, but we must understand that instrumental rationality serves value rationality. Regardless of whether we mention international development or not, we must first clarify the question of 'why to study'. Just as the theoretical system of tourism development with Chinese characteristics also needs to answer the question of "why is tourism development?" Otherwise, the people will not agree, and the industry and government will also not agree. I often think that if our academic research cannot become a national policy, we can help or guide the government to protect the country and protect the people; It cannot truly benefit the travel welfare and quality of life of the elderly and brothers in even a small spatial scale; We cannot teach young people by words and deeds, but only accommodate and respond to existing academic norms for the sake of promotion, personal reputation and interests, and engage in form based scientific research. I think it's better not to do such knowledge! In fact, the papers published by some domestic scholars in international academic journals, after stripping the shell of language and tools, are often just words like "talking about foreign affairs to Chinese people and Chinese affairs to foreigners". It should be noted that the fundamental reason why the tourism academic community in developed countries such as Europe and America accepts such language is that the so-called "Chinese story" is at work. China has become strong, and its tourism market, especially outbound tourism, has formed a significant market force and begun to affect the macro trend of the world tourism economy. In this context, the world needs to understand what China is thinking, doing, and what it may develop into in the future. However, the experts and scholars who publish our articles often fail to realize this. Many times, the treatment we receive overseas is not that our knowledge has truly reached an international level, nor is it that we speak fluent English or write according to international academic norms. Rather, it is that behind us stands an increasingly powerful China, one that is increasingly exerting influence on the prosperity and development of the international tourism economy. In fact, the recognition of us by the domestic tourism industry can also be seen as follows: are the articles we wrote and the sentences we said really that remarkable? I don't think so. It is the type of enterprise and business model, especially after the evolution of industrial organization to a certain stage, that entrepreneurs and managers in the tourism industry need to have their academic spokespersons in the non-commercial field, and of course, there are also meaningful interpreters and direction leaders involved. Looking deeper, it is still the growing and constantly changing tourism demand of the general public that plays a role in the evolution of industries and academic innovation, which is the macro fundamental factor affecting tourism economy and academic research. To pursue knowledge in the field of tourism, whether growing domestically or developing internationally, one must not deviate from this fundamental principle, which is the needs of the people, the industry, and the government. Emphasizing value orientation and local consciousness does not exclude internationally recognized research tools and methods, such as English listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities, quantitative research methods, and research and writing paradigms of mainstream international academic journals. Just need to be clear about the proper relationship between body and function. The mainstream discourse power in the international tourism academic community is still in the academic circles of Europe and America. If we don't even understand their game rules, how can we participate and grow? Mastering some internationally recognized academic paradigms and research methods can at least enable Chinese tourism scholars, especially the younger generation, to grow faster on an international scale. Whether it is the accumulation of local consciousness or the cultivation of an international perspective, it is not something that can be achieved by a generation of scholars, but requires generations of scholars to continue to work hard and strive for such goals. Some people will write down history and become stars or planets in the international tourism academic galaxy, while more people will quietly enter the depths of history. They are all inheritors on the path of academic transmission. As long as they have been here and fought, they will become warm memories in the process of human civilization evolution. Borrowing the semantics of the Diamond Sutra, they are no longer there, but nostalgia remains. What our generation needs to do is to always adhere to the mainstream values and continue to move forward with our talents and efforts. 2、 In terms of development orientation, emphasis should be placed on experience sharing, and more importantly, on joint participation and shared responsibility. Currently, international tourism academia is shifting from a single Western paradigm to a wider range of diverse subjects participating, exchanging, and cooperating. From the perspective of development trends, I feel that there are some changes worth paying attention to: firstly, scholars have shifted their focus from indirect communication through papers published in academic journals and their translations to traditional forms such as academic papers, monographs, and research reports, supplemented by new media such as international conference (including academic and non academic) project cooperation and online communication, providing comprehensive and diverse communication and cooperation. Nowadays, various countries and regions are holding international conferences and online exchanges, but academic exchanges are only a manifestation. Ultimately, only when our tourism industry and academic research level are truly strong, can more exchanges move towards deeper interactions. The second is the shift from individual based spontaneous cooperation to collaboration between teams, institutions, and even governments. Academic research carries the will of the government and begins to have a certain degree of national strategic color. We have noticed that national tourism research institutions and industry organizations such as the American Travel Association, the Korean Cultural Tourism Research Institute, and the Australian Tourism Research Institute hold strong discourse power over government decisions in their respective countries, which can influence government decisions and even directly express national development strategies. This is particularly evident in countries and regions dominated by market economies. The third is to promote the development of tourism education and talent cultivation through industry integration and strategic and strategic cooperation between governments and non-governmental organizations. The innovation of information technology in traditional tourism formats, as well as global climate change, ecological pressure, stakeholder demands, sustainable development, etc., have put forward more urgent practical requirements for the development of contemporary international tourism. In the past, scholars only needed to conduct academic research in ivory towers, but now it is no longer possible. In addition to speculation in study rooms, they also need to pay attention to new changes in demand and business formats. Although many changes and formulations are still at the conceptual level. However, as the saying goes, 'The wind begins at the end of Qingping'. For academic researchers, they must have sensitivity and foresight, which are also the basic skills of academic research. Only with solid basic skills can we talk about innovative research. We also need to see that these new changes have made the government's demand for academia and the academic community's influence on government decision-making increasingly strong. Fourthly, the relationship between China and the world is shifting from one-way input to two-way interaction, and will continue to move towards joint promotion, shared prosperity, and win-win cooperation in the future. The growing Chinese tourism market, especially the outbound tourism market, is driving us to extend our relatively closed academic discourse system to foreign countries. More and more Chinese tourism scholars are standing on international forums, sharing China's experience in responding to historical periods such as SARS, the Beijing Olympics, the Wenchuan earthquake, and the international financial crisis, as well as its historical achievements in entering the national strategic system. In particular, the release of State Council Document No. 41 has received a great response internationally. But we also need to objectively see that the sharing of experience further highlights the shortcomings of academic connotation and theoretical innovation. Scholars using discourse forms that conform to international academic paradigms for empirical research and pattern analysis are still in their early stages. Only by forming a solid theoretical foundation and an academic discourse system that can be shared can we disseminate development experiences that contribute to the common prosperity of the global tourism industry, and then work together with international peers to construct scientific values with universal significance. The modern tourism industry was naturally connected with the international community in an open and integrated manner as early as 30 years ago. China's tourism academic research also started from introducing the theoretical system and practical experience of developed countries, and grew together with China's tourism industry practice. In the early 1980s, whether it was basic concepts or academic frameworks; Whether it's university textbooks or industry training materials; Whether it is experts, scholars, or managers, China is learning from European and American countries in all aspects. So far, the research paradigm, evaluation system, and value orientation of Chinese tourism academia are basically foreign, mainly the academic discourse power system of developed countries in Europe and America. With the development of China's tourism industry, especially the rise of domestic tourism in the mid to late 1990s and the rapid growth of outbound tourism since the 21st century, coupled with the joint promotion of higher education and research institutions, a group of tourism scholars who have mastered contemporary academic norms and have local awareness have begun to attempt to construct a tourism academic system with Chinese characteristics from an international perspective. If after 30 years of development, the Chinese tourism market and industry have had a significant impact on the world, then today's Chinese tourism academic research should also take responsibility for the prosperity and development of international tourism academia and make its own contributions. Objectively speaking, due to differences in research topics and methods, as well as limitations in the influence of language and writing, although China's tourism academic research has achieved some remarkable results in industrial practice and higher education, objectively speaking, it has not truly integrated into the mainstream international academic system. In the strategic system of international growth, we have long-term value orientation and phased academic demands. The Chinese tourism academic community does not need to hide its values and academic stance, let alone avoid its practical demands. Firstly, it is necessary to share China's experience in tourism development with the world and convey China's voice, including the voices of academia, industry, and government. Tell the world a real China: a China that has jumped to become the world's second largest economy but has extremely uneven development; A China committed to cultural revival and peaceful rise, but not fully understood by the international community. There should be data, cases, logic, and profound thinking. It is not enough to simply apply existing models to a few Chinese data, or simply introduce China's stories in foreign languages. We must grasp it soberly