Speech by Dai Bin at the Talent Construction Work Conference of China Tourism Research Institute

On July 23, 2010, Dean Dai Bin delivered an important speech at the Talent Construction Work Conference of China Tourism Research Institute. The full text is as follows:

The Quality Cultivation and Ability Enhancement of Contemporary Tourism Scholars

Comrades: On the occasion of the theme party day event, we held a semi annual summary meeting of the research institute in Shaoshan, Hunan, the red revolutionary base area, and also took this opportunity to celebrate the second anniversary of the establishment of the institute. Following the 2009 Party Day, we jointly discussed how to promote the discipline construction of the research institute by serving the industry and serving the country. At the first batch of research base awards and work seminars, we also explored how to promote the interactive growth of tourism science and industry practice through organizational innovation. Whether it's about discipline construction or organizational innovation, I have repeatedly emphasized one thing, which is talent cultivation. Especially for institutions like research institutes, the ideology, cultivation, quality, and ability of personnel within the organization and system directly determine the authority and influence of government think tanks, and even determine the significance and value of the institution's existence. Below, I would like to share some opinions on talent cultivation and personal growth of young tourism scholars for your reference. 1、 The position and role of talent cultivation in the discipline construction and development strategy of our college. For an institution like ours, there are no fixed assets, only two floors and some tables, chairs, and benches. Yeah, the two-story building is still rented, and we have to pay over 800000 yuan in rent every year. It's not like Building 1, which has some administrative power no matter what. What do we rely on for survival and development? We rely on our ideas and scientific research achievements. And where does thought come from, and how does scientific research come about? There is only one answer, high-quality talents. In this sense, the research institute is an intelligence intensive institution, a platform for gathering and cultivating high-quality professional talents. Gathering and cultivating talents is the fundamental goal of the construction and development of the research institute. Someone asked me, what does a research institute do? Is it for internal reference, writing reports, and working on horizontal projects? I said no, these are just daily tasks carried out around talent development and training goals. Each research institute is cultivating people through tasks. Someone asked me, what do you think is the most proud thing about the two-year establishment of the research institute? Is it recognized by the Party Committee of the National Tourism Administration and the Party committees and governments at all levels and regions? Is it recognition and praise from the academic and industrial circles at home and abroad? My answer is still negative. While academic reputation and industry influence are certainly important to us, they are only the inevitable results of our talent cultivation and discipline construction towards our goals. From this perspective, talent cultivation is not only the carrier and platform of the discipline construction system, but also the center and focus of various work in the research institute. From the perspective of cultivating the tourism industry as a strategic pillar industry of the national economy and a modern service industry that satisfies the people, technology, education, and talent are the support. As a national research institution, the research institute should play a demonstrative and leading role. In a knowledge and talent intensive institution like the research institute, it is necessary to cultivate high-quality and versatile professional talents who can contribute theoretical wisdom to the development of the national tourism industry, fully practice theory in tourism industry practice, and drive the growth of more talents in the north and south of the country like seeds, making the research institute a theoretical navigation station and talent incubator for promoting the intensive development of the tourism industry. 2、 The goals and tasks of talent cultivation in the current and future period of the research institute can be said to have taken a difficult path in talent cultivation from the beginning of its establishment to now. This path, in simple terms, is a path of "starting from scratch, building while building, and cultivating oneself". So far, we have not poached a famous figure or academic leader from tourism universities and research institutions. Basically, they are fresh graduates or recently graduated PhDs. Some comrades are not majoring in tourism management, have no experience working in government think tanks, and do not have extensive influence in academia, industry, and government. This is such a young team that has firmly supported the embryonic form of a "government think tank"! Looking back now, it was indeed not easy. Shortcomings and crisis awareness. On the surface, our academic reputation and industrial influence are far from meeting the requirements of the bureau's party group and the industry. In fact, this is just a natural stage phenomenon in the development process. For an institution with only two years of development history, it is normal for the team to be younger and feel more inexperienced. What I am worried about is not these superficial things, but whether our team comes from all over the world and different disciplinary backgrounds. Can we stick to a common goal for the long term? Is it from a shared understanding of the guiding ideology of the discipline construction of the research institute, and to devote all one's wisdom and loyalty to it? Will there be any wavering or even giving up? I hope comrades can seriously consider this issue, which is a big problem that often keeps me awake. Whether it's an individual or an institution, there's no fear of losing reputation for a while, or even a temporary downturn in development. It's only afraid of losing direction and confidence. Throughout history, our country, which has been plagued by many disasters, has repeatedly entered a low point, and even the emperor has been captured and the country's name has changed. But what happened in the end? It hasn't continued yet, it has revived. What does it rely on? It is context, the context carried and continued by scholars. Does the research institute have cultural heritage? It cannot be said that there is none, but it is still in the process of taking shape. It is still the small lotus that has just shown its sharp edges, and the sunrise that has just risen before dawn, which is still very unstable. If in my mind, the biggest crisis facing the research institute is not funding, reputation, or even talent, but the cultural foundation that shapes and cultivates people. Culture is something that cannot be seen or touched, it exists there in reality, playing a significant role bit by bit. Without a stable academic culture, the Institute of History and Philology at Academia Sinica, founded during the Republic of China era, would not have been able to withstand the ever-changing world many years after the death of its founder, Fu Sinian, and still be respected today. Academic culture is the foundation of cultivating scholars. Without a foundation, how can we achieve the century long and millennium long cause we want to do? Goal: The strategic or long-term goal is to become a gathering place for international high-level tourism talents, a hub for tourism academia in Shaoshan, Jinggangshan, and Yan'an, and a place that tourism scholars aspire to from the bottom of their hearts. Talents still need to be mobile. As the saying goes, 'Never forget each other in the world.' Talents belong to the country, and even more broadly, to the world. Now and in the future, the research institute is becoming increasingly prosperous, which is certainly a good thing. It's like the Grand View Garden in Dream of the Red Chamber, where everyone gathers together and shares the same ideals and poetic life. Will they disperse in the future? I think it will definitely happen. Gathering and dispersing are the norm for people. I don't want to drive everyone away, and I can't bear to part with it either. One day, my wings will harden and I will have to fly. What a gratifying sight it would be to scatter into the great rivers and bring the ideas of the research institute to a broader space, and then use these ideas to cultivate more successors. There are gatherings and separations, and 'there are great scholars chatting and laughing, and there are no white servants in communication'. This is my long-term hope for the talent construction of the research institute, and it is also my heartfelt expectation. Of course, from the current perspective, we still need to focus on gathering and cultivating and enhancing existing talents. In the next two to three years, we will continue to recruit some PhDs, but the focus will be on improving the existing human resources team and optimizing the stock. Our phased goal is to cultivate the core professional personnel of the hospital headquarters into a high-quality research team that is trusted by the Party group, recognized by the academic community, recognized by the industry, and has international influence, and to drive the growth of professional talents in peripheral research institutions and even on a larger scale. Task: In the second construction cycle, the research institute should gradually form an academic team that supports and cooperates with each other (4 internal research institutes, several branches, and external research bases), a three-level academic team with benchmarks in the front and successors in the back (50 years old, 40 years old, 30 years old), and several academic leaders with international influence. Also, cultivating academic masters in the field of tourism has always been my dream. The master referred to here is not self proclaimed, nor is it bestowed upon you by even the most authoritative organization. It is a historical glory that people genuinely identify with and will be remembered for future generations a hundred years later. When you become a fragment of history, and future generations still feel warm when they see your name, that is the master. Whether you can become masters is still unclear, but we must strive towards this direction. Our generation cannot achieve it. It's better to explore and be a paving stone, but isn't it a teacher to create a new atmosphere. 3、 The cultivation of quality and improvement of abilities for contemporary tourism scholars. Contemporary young tourism scholars should first have a grateful heart for the historical opportunities brought by the development of the times and the platforms provided by organizations for growth. They should examine their personal growth with a long-term perspective. In the process of learning, one should not only have the attitude of "establishing the heart for heaven and earth, establishing the destiny for the people, continuing the ultimate learning for the past, and opening up peace for all eternity", but also inherit and carry forward the spirit of contemporary science, endowing academic research with a high level of national consciousness. This is a value system based on the traditional Chinese intellectuals' belief in serving the people, and a sense of mission to consciously integrate into the national strategic system. We should fully recognize the expectations and expectations placed on tourism academia and contemporary Chinese tourism scholars by the development of the national tourism industry, and take the initiative to assume this responsibility. This is the ideological foundation and value source for achieving the development goals of this generation of tourism academia. Confucius said, "Culture surpasses quality in history, quality surpasses literature in wildness, refinement leads to a gentleman." When a person's social attributes outweigh their natural attributes, they will become timid in their actions. Conversely, when their natural attributes surpass their social attributes, they will also become bold and rough. The process of human growth seeks a balance between two attributes. From the perspective of genetic laws, everyone has innate abilities and strengths. However, in the process of academic growth, overall, attention should be paid to the cultivation of comprehensive qualities and abilities. The cultivation I want to emphasize includes three aspects: political cultivation, academic cultivation, and humanistic cultivation. In China, political cultivation means loving the Party, loving the country, and loving socialism. With political cultivation, there will be a basic direction for growth, no emptiness, no self pity, and no complacency. Academic cultivation refers to mastering the core theories of tourism disciplines to the basic theories of related disciplines, which requires a process of going from thin to thick, and then from thick to thin, and this process needs to be repeated. With academic cultivation, work will not be monotonous and boring, and innovation and development will become possible. Humanistic cultivation must be obtained through mastering and enriching literary and historical knowledge. The sense of writing is very important. There is no shortcut to cultivating and forming a sense of writing, just read and write more. As the saying goes, 'If you read three hundred Tang poems thoroughly, even if you don't know how to write poetry, you can recite them.' Not only should you read books in your professional field, but you should also involve more books in science, history, and philosophy, such as Hawking's' A Brief History of Time 'and Lu Yao's' The Ordinary World'. In short, you should take every opportunity to broaden your horizons and conduct academic research with a broader way of thinking. In the process of international communication, being proactive and not arrogant is the basic attitude. Contemporary Chinese tourism scholars cannot engage in closed door and closed research, nor do they need to follow the crowd behind others. We need to cultivate a Chinese school of international tourism academic research and use an internationally recognized discourse system to voice the voice of Chinese tourism academia. Contemporary tourism scholars, especially those present as members of government think tanks, should not only have academic abilities, but also be able to conduct basic research, as well as respond to strategic and emergency research. Providing intellectual support for tourism decision-making at all levels of government is the foundation and core, while also adhering to continuously producing new academic achievements and maintaining a voice in the academic community. This is the basic growth point for scholars. In addition, one must have the leadership ability to lead a team and unite people. For a research institution, project research is different from individual academic research. After a project is researched, it often involves various issues such as team collaboration and overall coordination. This is not the same concept as a mentor leading a team and a graduate student working on a project with a mentor. Therefore, both the heads of each department and the researchers serving as the leaders of the research group need to possess the necessary academic and leadership abilities. To conduct academic research, one must first be familiar with the most basic theoretical system and research paradigm of a discipline, and proficiently use one or two of the most effective research methods. The dumbest is often the most effective. That's why the Big Knife Team at Xifengkou was able to make the Japanese aggressors tremble at the news. Before mastering advanced technology or methods, practical academic achievements can also be produced through the application of basic methods that are proficiently used and firmly mastered. We need to put in some clumsy effort. When I was a child cutting rice, my mother said, 'Eyes are fools, hands are heroes.'. That is to say, we cannot just talk without practicing, nor can we just play tricks without doing practical things. Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer people who only ask about farming and not about harvest. In fact, the process of farming is the biggest harvest. Mr. Hu Shi's favorite sentence to write is' How to reap first? '. I completely agree. How can we learn the down-to-earth spirit from the working people and comrades on the front line of tourism in practical actions from the bottom of our hearts? Firstly, one must have resilience and a sense of mission. Doing academic work is a difficult task that requires a sense of mission and rational identification in order to be steadfast. Lu Xun once said, "Because of the different ultimate goals, while traveling, there are always people who retire from the army, those who are abandoned, those who are decadent, and those who betray." I often look down from the plane when traveling, and when I see the beautiful mountains and vast territory of our motherland, I always have the impulse to cry. I must use my meager talent to do something for the country and the people! This sense of mission can be replaced by the traditional word 'responsibility'. Responsibility is the most important aspect of the cultivation of traditional Chinese intellectuals. It unifies the spirit of scholarship with national development, ethnic prosperity, tourism industry development, and the well-being of the masses. The demands and expectations of contemporary tourism scholars in this era are gradually being shouldered by us. I am currently reading a book, "From Gong Zizhen to Situ Leideng," written by Mr. Fu Guoyong. The title on the cover reads "They Inject Souls into Contemporary Times." I recommend comrades to take a look. To engage in learning, one must have two qualities: purity and tranquility. One should not seek speed, but rather be able to maintain composure. A person's growth can be directed, not set goals, let alone specific indicators. To pursue knowledge, one should enjoy the little things in the process of growth, such as achieving success or making a name for themselves. These are companions that arise along the process over time, rather than the ultimate goal. To achieve great ideals, one cannot follow the goal. If you steady your steps steadily and practice the skills of each step, you will naturally succeed. You can read Mr. Jin Yong's martial arts novel "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". That clumsy Guo Jing has a clean heart and never takes shortcuts. The 18 Dragon Subduing Palms came out naturally. To pursue knowledge, one should look upwards and not be satisfied with publishing articles in small magazines or newspapers and earning royalties. Since I have chosen to conduct academic research, I must strive for excellence and engage in academic debates with the academic community in core and well-known journals and newspapers, even if I am repeatedly defeated, I will continue to fight. This is like playing chess, if you always play against experts, even if you lose, you will see your own progress. In short, it is important to interact with people with high levels of expertise and strong abilities. The ancients said that those who are close to vermilion are red and those who are close to ink are black, which is very reasonable. To pursue knowledge, one must also have a tolerant heart. Everyone go read Fang Long's "On Tolerance". Tolerance is not unconditional compromise, it is a gentleman's harmony without uniformity, and a gentleman's friends without party affiliation. Compared with basic disciplines such as economics and management, the tourism academic community is now in a situation of a hundred schools of thought competing and each holding their own opinions. This is a phenomenon unique to the growth of disciplines at this stage, there is no need to rush to achieve unification. This requires us to be unafraid of discussions and opinions when conducting academic research. If you propose an idea, others cannot? Esther defines tourism, can't others redefine it? Whether an academic viewpoint is scientific or not, whether it has long-term vitality and universal recognition, requires time to test, rather than based on the order in which it was proposed. For the industry