Graduation thesis defense "Customs Clearance Magic": Answer without arguing, apologize madly?

Text | "China Newspaper" reporter Feng Lifei

Recently, the graduation season of colleges and universities, the graduate degree thesis "answered but not argued" appeared on the Internet hot search. Many "coming people" even sent "answering without arguing, mad apologies" as a motto, and the words were chores:

"Do you have a tail to be a person at that level, do you still have to argue with the tail?"

"Do you think the defense is to see how capable you are? The humble process is right; if you dare to argue, see you next year."

"The defense itself is a skill, and the answer is to debate to see your mentor's" coffee "."

The so -called "defense" should have been a trick for you to come and go, sword, and fierce Q & A. However, many experts said in an interview with the China Science Journal that the teachers and students at the current graduation of colleges and universities should be "a bit ideal."

Some experts have emotions that the general point of view is that the probability of graduation defense is due to it. The responsibilities of the defense members are more to help students pass more in accordance with the requirements, rather than academically difficult students. As a member of the defense, if you do n’t have sand in your eyes, it is too true, and it is likely to be “respectful” by his peers.

Is it normal to have less "smell of gunpowder" and more "worldly flavor"? Is there any reason for answering? Should I pass by, or wait seriously?

The defense field of "harmony and drizzle"

Every year, Peng Zhenming participates in N graduation thesis defense. For nearly 20 years since he joined the university, he has participated in a master's degree and doctoral graduation defense for a total of 500.

"It's like a pipeline, there are very few debate scenes." This is his vital touch.

In the master's degree, Peng Zhenming said that generally one and a half days (such as within 9 to 12:3 hours in the morning) will complete the defense of 6 to 7 master's degree graduates. The defense time of each master's degree is half an hour average, half of them reports, and half of the time answers the questions from the teacher of the 5 defense team.

"Due to the differences in the direction of the members of the defense group, some (questions) are only advice on the structure of thesis, writing format, and standardization, and there is no need to answer. There are few targeted academic discussions." Peng Zhen, a professor at the University of Electronic Science and Technology, Obviously.

The doctor's response time is relatively abundant. Each student is reported for 35 to 45 minutes in about 2 hours. Therefore, there are many questions about the question session. There will be some discussions. The scene will be relatively active and enthusiastic. However, there are still fewer debates between the students and the real knife and the real knife of the defense team.

At present, Liu Xun, who is a assistant researcher at the Institute of Curriculum Teaching Materials of the Ministry of Education, obtained a doctorate degree in managing from Renmin University of China last year. She still remembers her inner tension and excitement when answering a year ago. She believes that her research is more solid and highlights, so she wants to show her discovery.

On the defense field, the teachers pointed out the problems and deficiencies in the question. Although she responded one by one, she never had "debate". "I always feel that 'debate' contains confrontation." Liu Ye felt that he was a typical Chinese student, which was more moderate and would not directly oppose the teacher.

Li Fengliang, an associate professor of the Institute of Education of Tsinghua University, believes that the phenomenon of answering domestic dissertations is not only available in recent years. Nearly 20 years ago, when he practiced Ph.D.'s paper defense, he also imagined that many judges may ask sharp questions, and the preparation response also had a relative taste. But in the actual defense, the judges did not ask the sharp question.

Later, after Li Fengliang became a judge, most of the degree thesis defense he experienced was "harmonious".

After arguing "hurting face"? More "isolated"?

Why is the defense field calm? The reporter found in the interview that there are three main reasons for graduate students:

(1) Do not argue, unable to clarify the problem with rigorous, logically, or have no argument; (2) I dare not argue, worrying that once I debate, the defense teacher thinks that the attitude of admitting the wrong attitude is not correct, the low score, or even even It is not possible to do; (3) unwilling to argue, the future work does not involve academic research, just after walking.

Wen Shuangchun, dean of the School of Physics and Microelectronics of Hunan University, believes that these reasons are far -fetched. "Students' point of view shows that they do not recognize the purpose and significance of the dissertation defense. The defense is not for the difficult students or not let them graduate, but to allow them to accept better academic baptism." He said.

At the same time, he believes that this phenomenon cannot be hooked with the quality of the training of higher education talents, and the students have insufficient academic ability and lack of scientific spirit. "The more the truth is more and more clear, and the thesis of many students cannot stand the debate."

According to the "Draft Law of Degree Law (Draft for Opinions)" published by the Ministry of Education in 2021, master's degree should master the solid basic theory and system specialty of this subject or professional field, and have the ability to engage in scientific research; doctoral students also It is necessary to have the ability to make innovative results in scientific research.

"This means that graduate students need to have the ability to ask and solve problems." Wen Shuangchun said, but the goal of many graduate students is only to have a paper based on themselves as the first author, but they are unwilling to dive with their hearts. Complete every link for publishing a paper.

For example, the topic of many graduate papers is given by the mentor, and they are not clear and unwilling to spend time understand the purpose and significance of the topic selection, which leads to the dissertation from the beginning. Only data, I do n’t know what these data demonstrates and how to demonstrate. At this time, the teacher may not play a role in helping, and eventually leads to students to “answer without arguing”.

"Many graduation thesis portrait experimental reports or hospital inspection reports, there are pictures, data, and conclusions, but they all use descriptive language, lack of analysis, demonstration, and reasoning. 'Deep reasons. "Wen Shuangchun said. In addition, many experts believe that the phenomenon of answering and not arguing is also related to environmental factors.

From the perspective of the environment, Liu Yongmou, a professor at the School of Philosophy of the Renmin University of China, and a researcher at the National Institute of Development and Strategy, believes that the Chinese have always disliked their own thoughts and answered without arguing that "it is about to be separated from this ethnicity." The reasons are complicated. For example, the Chinese have been warned from the mouth since childhood, lacking training and opportunities in speaking, and believing in "sultry and wealth", arguing in person to controversy "hurt face".

This phenomenon has also extended to many academic discussions. In the impression of Chinese professor Wang Changzhi (pseudonym) in a university in Australia, most Chinese students did not show the sharpness of young people at the discussion.

"Chinese culture is a human society, advocating and being kind. Reflection to academics lacks the debate atmosphere." He said, "But academic debate is not a personal attack, not a face problem. Academic problems, right, wrong, is wrong. Wrong, there must be basic judgment standards. Academic equality must be equal, regardless of age or qualifications. The so -called, 'disciples need not be as good as the teacher, the teacher does not have to be a disciple'. "

However, some interviews have stated that in reality, the constraints such as academic equality, personal qualifications, and personal prejudice are an invisible shackles on the road of free defense.

Liu Xun admits that the liberal arts are strong, and the collision between different views is the deserved meaning of the liberal arts defense. But in reality, this collision has made a lot of challenges to students, mentors and defense team members.

"Suppose students and teachers have the opposite view. Teachers should not deny from fundamental stance. It depends on whether the students have successfully demonstrated and their own ways. The teacher may have a high academic reputation, but it may not be compared to a specific research issue. Students are strong. Students should respect the teacher, and the teacher must also treat the students equally. For different opinions, they can be expressed without personal prejudice, and they can be expressed in reason and peacefully. "She said.

Not only students, this invisible shackles also restrict a lot of defense judges, making it "dare not be true." A few years ago, a expert who met by Wen Shuangchun presided over several masters of a college's dissertation to answer the defense of the dean of the college, because he found that there was an academic incompetence in the dissertation of the student.

Subsequently, the expert was not implemented for the director's instructions requested the "change results". He replied that it was not the students to promote students to promote students, and to help and protect the instructor from threats to "timing bombs"; and they must maintain the seriousness and authority of academic academics. People have no right to change.

Afterwards, according to Wen Shuangchun's memories, the expert who could not hold sand was "firmly locked into the cage." He never appeared in any postgraduate response occasion in the college, and his "extreme" name was far -reaching to his brother college. Although his academic academics are very good, the "learning hat" and "official position" are not commented. Any academic labor opportunities with experts have no other academic labor opportunity.

"There is a record of integrity abroad, and there are more real records in China, especially those who are more true for academics. The universal consensus in the academic circle is that if it is not firmly locked into the cage, the most tolerant limit is to let the spiritual spirit of the independent spiritual and let the freedom let the freedom of freedom. The thinker swims yourself. "Wen Shuangchun lamented.

Answer without arguing, smiling?

In this case, is the degree defense or not? Do you answer without arguing?

Experts' views are differentiated.

As a supporter of "answering and arguing", Peng Zhenming believes that graduate students have a passionately stated their research results, which helps reflect the level of research and expression.

Li Fengliang said that if the graduation defense can be more exciting, it will be more exciting, and it can also reflect the "teaching (judge) (judge) learning (student)."

"The academic problem should be in the white knife, and the red knife comes out." Wang Changzhi's proposition is very clear. "This does not prevent everyone from respecting each other. Academic discussions are not right. "

However, in the current educational goals and environment, some experts believe that students are "normal".

On the one hand, the academic debate of teachers and students in the real sense may be a bit ideal. After all, the judges are in an absolute advantage. Students need considerable courage and level if they want to argue.

On the other hand, the graduate defense is mainly to help students correct the problems in the paper. The teacher pointed out that the problem is to help students improve, not for students. "There is no need to argue in this case." Said Yu Hailiang, a professor at the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering of Zhongnan University.

For example, Yu Hailiang was extended by the two students who were the members of the defense this year. One of them had not been tried due to the errors of the experimental results, and the other was not enough due to the workload. "These situations have nothing to quibble." He said, "but if the teacher understands errors in some places of the paper, the students must be right."

Liu Yongmou also said that the degree thesis defense of a master's and doctoral students will largely have the nature of rituals, and it is not the link of "killing and killing" by outsiders. This is also common abroad. At the end of the defense, the performance of the performance is very strong, and the purpose of cultivating the awareness of academic community and inheriting academic sacred consciousness is even more highlighted.

To this end, some experts believe that the quality of graduate training should first be based on the thesis quality itself, and the defense should be placed in the second place. "In any case, graduate training should always adhere to a bottom line: the paper meets the standard." Yu Hailiang said. However, in Peng Zhenming's view, he did not argue that he had hidden in -depth issues in education. For example, in terms of teaching philosophy, we focus on teaching knowledge and skills, lack of thinking, methods, systems, innovation, and depth and breadth in the training of thinking; in terms of student learning methods, pay attention to the test and score of standard answers, do not pay attention to thinking and solve solutions The ability training of the problem has led to lack of critical thinking and stifling innovation ability.

He suggested that whether the students' training goals meet the standards and strictly linked to graduation, forcing students to do research carefully, and completing the graduation thesis with high quality, so that they have the confidence.

In Wang Changzhi's opinion, it is a serious question to say that answering is not arguing. "The May Fourth Movement, we invited Mr. De" Mr. De "Mr. Sai". "Mr. Sai Sai" referred to is not a simple and specific scientific category, but also includes the spirit of science, that is, the spirit of questioning in academic equality and daring to challenge authority . So the landslide pushing the front waves, academics improved. "He said," If you dare not question, it is difficult to have new discoveries and innovations. "

Behind the answer, Wen Shuangchun believes that this shows that the current graduate students dare not question others and dare not question themselves. In his opinion, cultivating and shaping the scientific spirit must not only stare at publishing papers, but to penetrate the improvement of research ability to the entire process of graduate training.

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