Correspondent Zhang Yiwei Yang Yiyi
"The elders who seek wood must consolidate their roots; Those who want to flow far away must dig their fountains. " Education has always been a century-long plan, and it is its glorious mission and fundamental task to cultivate people and keep innovation.
Nie Mao, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Humanities, Central South University, has many titles: writer, poet and literary critic, but what he values most is the heavy title of teacher. At the beginning of December, he said in an interview: "The essence of education is that a tree shakes another tree, a cloud pushes another cloud, and one soul calls another soul."
Nie Mao was never satisfied with his temporary success. He not only encouraged himself with "the running posture is closest to the goal", but also carefully trained students and used his own educational philosophy to make successive students become adults. He devoted himself to his studies and set an example for students with his unswerving academic pursuit and profound academic support. With all his energy and painstaking efforts, he tried to practice what Mr. Da should do and feel in the new era of the unity of "Confucian classics" and "human teachers".
Be a guide in the process of students’ growth by osmosis and example.
The teaching work in Nie Mao is very heavy. There are 16 doctoral students and postdoctoral disciples, 13 master students and many undergraduates. He has his own unique views on teaching activities.
He believes that teaching and educating people is a "conscience work", and teaching his knowledge and experience to students should be based on conscience and worthy of the trust of students and schools. In his view, knowledge can be divided into "common sense" and "knowledge". "Common sense" can be understood as knowledge in books, which can be acquired through self-study; And "knowledge" is life experience and experience, which is wisdom left behind after years of baptism and precipitation and not found in books. As a teacher, we should not only impart "common sense", but also tell students about our own "knowledge" and use our own life experiences to help students broaden their horizons and avoid detours.
"After the night, every flower will be in full bloom." This is Nie Mao’s earnest warning.
He often leads students out of school and into the society, so that what they have learned can be applied in practice. "I also came from my student days. As an educator who has worked in Central South University for almost 20 years, I understand the needs of students. I have worked in the media industry, and I can do my best to help students, create opportunities for them to practice and seek jobs, be a paving stone for students, and guide them to grow up healthily. This is the duty and responsibility of a teacher. " Nie Mao said sincerely.
He once offered the course "New Media Research" for graduate students. He used his social resources and rich media experience to design a series of practical assignments with strong maneuverability, guiding students to stand on the society and combining professional knowledge with promoting the feelings of home and country and social positive energy in a "grounded way". Not only did the students complete the practical course results, but their experiences were also reported by the media, which caused a good social response.
Pursue university questions, be willing to sit on the bench and be a pioneer on the academic road.
In the field of academic research, Nie Mao’s research results are quite fruitful. In 2018, he launched the 7-volume, 3-million-word "China Experience and Literature Study on the Development of Xiang Army" at one time, and in 2021, he published the 5-volume, 1.7-million-word "Interdisciplinary Study on Urban Culture in the 21st Century" at one time.
Among them, the book series "Research on China’s Experience and the Development of Xiang Army" condensed his accumulation and contribution for more than 30 years. He began to engage in literary creation in the 1980s, witnessed the development of the Xiang army of literature and was deeply influenced by it. Then he kept reading related literary works and wrote a series of critical articles for Hunan writers, and his efforts day after day finally paid off. The English version of his academic monograph "Literary Expression of China’s Experience" was also published by Peter Lang, an internationally renowned publishing institution, as the final result of the foreign translation project of the National Social Science Fund.
In this regard, Nie Mao said that his overseas study experience has benefited him a lot. He not only learned a lot of knowledge during his doctoral studies, but also had an international vision and was able to do solid basic research on the shoulders of academic giants. At the same time, he studied classical literature for his master’s degree and cultural communication for his doctor’s degree. He also worked as a farmer, a doctor (examiner) and a reporter and editor in a news unit. His rich academic background made him form an interdisciplinary way of thinking and devoted himself to pursuing interdisciplinary "university questions".
He once said to his students, "Work like a ox and live like a camel." It is intended to encourage students to do a good job in a down-to-earth and steady manner, to have perseverance, to endure a difficult environment, and to "turn endurance into enjoyment".
In the interview, Nie Mao also repeatedly said: Everyone has only 24 hours a day, and he won’t give you one more minute and give another one less. How to make full use of these 24 hours is learned. "People see that I have written so many works in addition to teaching and scientific research, but few people know the hardships and efforts behind it. It is no exaggeration to say that every honor has a responsibility to bless, every achievement is watered by sweat, and no one’s success is easy. "
Keep writing, keep creating, and be the disseminator of advanced thought and culture.
In 2019, Nie Mao launched the long poem Hero of the Republic. The poem expresses his infinite memory of Yang Kaihui, Xiang Jingyu, Cai Hesen and other revolutionary heroes, as well as his feelings about the vicissitudes of the country. This is his gift to the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, and it is also the crystallization of his painstaking efforts for more than 30 years.
"Hero of the Republic" has also been made into 20 audio and video issues, which are serialized in the learning power and the party building network; In the second half of 2019, the relevant departments of the province successively organized three large-scale poetry recitals of "Heroes of the Republic", which were held in Wangchengrong Media Center, Changsha Experimental Theater and the Auditorium of Central South University. More than 20 well-known reciters, performing artists and more than 1,000 students from universities, middle schools and primary schools in the province participated in the performance, and the online video was broadcast live simultaneously. Looking at the passionate performances of the primary, middle and primary school students on the stage, Nie Mao said with tears in his eyes: "We should pass on the story of the hero of the Republic in the form of poetry, so that the young people at present can understand the hero, approach the hero and draw the strength of spirit and belief from the hero."
The Hero of the Republic has been adapted into audio and video works, and at the same time, it has also released the "Children’s Edition" and "Song of Heroes" to spread the heroic culture in a way closer to minors, so that children can receive the edification and nourishment of excellent culture.
On this basis, Nie Mao led his scientific research team to publish a series of ideological and political papers, such as "Hero Culture in the New Era and Innovative Research on Ideological and Political Work of College Students" and "Hero Culture Propaganda in the New Era and Innovative Development of Ideological and Political Work of Colleges and Universities", and made efforts to integrate excellent hero culture into ideological and political education and teaching of college students in an effective way, so that the younger generation can strengthen their ideals and beliefs and become the pillars of the country.
In 2012, he applied for the national major cultural project "Biography of China’s History and Culture", and his concluding achievement "The Traveler of Heaven and Earth: Biography of Wang Fu" was published by Writers Publishing House in 2016, and the preface of the famous writer Tang Haoming was published in Guangming Daily. After that, it took him more than six years to complete the writing of the three-volume novel Wang Chuanshan, which will be launched by Unity Publishing House in early 2024.
