Pulse

Use names of our role models, not brands

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-02 08:04

A teaching building at Tsinghua University was recently renamed the Jeanswest Building after receiving sponsorship from the popular clothing store of the same name. Is this over-commercialization or a money-wise move?

Well, I don't have anything to say if a company donates a huge sum to a college. It's much better than them spending too much money on food and gifts for their employees. Is it necessary to rename the building? No. If the company is simply being generous, then there are far more options than just top colleges like Tsinghua: middle schools, primary schools and kindergartens in the mountainous areas, say. They badly need money. I saw on TV that teachers in these places struggle to get paid on time. However, I guess companies don't do this because fewer people will take notice. On the other hand, I think university officials should prevent campuses from becoming too commercialized; otherwise people will see all these brands and think they're walking into a department store rather than a university. It's good for them to show gratitude to donating enterprises, but not this way. I can accept a building being named after a person who is a role model.

College students in Beijing are complaining that food prices at school canteens have gone up a lot. What do you think about that? Do you think there's a way to solve the problem?

I think the price hike is due to the fact the schools have transferred their canteens to private ownership. Years ago, I used to occasionally eat at the canteens of Peking University and Beijing International Studies University. The food prices were fairly low there compared with those outside the campuses. I heard that they had a special channel through which they could buy vegetables and meat that were cheaper than usual market prices. I don't know if there still are those cheaper deals. Though food price have been going up quickly, I do believe the authorities will always have a way to control food prices at universities. The food cost might not be a big deal for students from big cities, but those from the remote countryside will have a hard time with the high prices.

Want the inside track from METRO's talkative taxi driver Dou Keying? E-mail your questions to metrobeijing@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 06/02/2011)