Shi Yigong is elected as the first president of Westlake University on April 16. ZHEJIANG DAILY
在杭州美丽的西子湖畔，一所全新的民办高校将很快崛起。
The Ministry of Education has officially approved the opening of the new Westlake University, reported China Daily. It will be China’s first private doctorate-granting university. As a new-type of research-oriented university, it will focus on advanced technology and scientific research.
据《中国日报》报道，教育部发函同意设立西湖大学。该校将是中国第一所授予博士学位的民办高校。作为一所新型研究型大学，西湖大学将关注前沿科学技术研究。
At first, it will only offer doctoral education, but will start undergraduate programs in the future, with no more than 5,000 students. The project was put forward by a group of top Chinese academics, including former Tsinghua University vice-president Shi Yigong, who was elected as the university’s first president on April 16.
学校从举办博士研究生教育起步，适时开展本科生教育，全日制在校生规模不超过5000人。该项目由包括原清华大学副校长施一公教授在内的一众国内顶尖学者发起筹建，而施一公也于4月16日当选西湖大学首任校长。
In 15 years, it “will be regarded as one of the best universities, not just in Asia but around the world,” said Shi, reported the South China Morning Post.
据《南华早报》报道，施一公表示，15年内，该校“将成为亚洲乃至世界范围内最好的大学之一”。
According to Shi, during the past few decades, China’s public universities such as Peking and Tsinghua have developed greatly. On the other hand, private universities have mostly remained at the same level.
施一公认为，在过去的几十年间，北大清华等国内公立高校发展都十分迅速。而大部分民办院校却止步不前。
“Most of the private universities focus on vocational training, providing low-level skilled workers to the society instead of high-end talent,” said Shi. “However, in the US, private universities play an important role in cultivating top talent.”
“民办大学绝大部分为职业技术型，偏重于就业，偏重于为社会培养简单的就业人才，并不是着眼于研发型的高端顶尖人才，”施一公说道。“在美国这样的国家，私立大学在培养顶尖人才方面发挥着重要作用。”
The approval of this university is seen as a move that could “add a new type of institute to the Chinese higher education sector that has long been dominated by public universities”, commented CGTN.
这所高校的获批成立，被视为能够在“由公立大学长期主导的中国高等教育领域中加入一种新型院校”，中国国际电视台评论道。
Like US private universities, Westlake University will be under the governance of a board of directors, and the president will run the university.
和美国私立大学一样，西湖大学将在校董会的决策下，由校长负责学校日常管理。
Meanwhile, its funding will come from donations, tuition, and research projects, as well as government subsidies, according to People’s Daily. Businesspeople such as Tencent founder and CEO Pony Ma and Wanda Group founder Wang Jianlin have already offered funds to the university.
与此同时，据《人民日报》报道，西湖大学经费来源主要为社会捐赠、办学收入、竞争性科研项目经费和政府扶持资金等。腾讯创始人、总裁马化腾以及万达集团创始人王健林等商界人士已为该校提供了捐赠资金。
The approval of Westlake University comes at a time when China is trying to promote private education. On Sept 1, 2017, a revised law on private education took effect, which includes various measures to support private education. For example, it says that non-profit private schools will enjoy the same policies as public schools in land use and taxation. It’s hoped that private universities will play a bigger role in China’s higher education in the future.
西湖大学的获批创办恰逢中国尝试推动民办教育之时。2017年9月1日，新修订的《民办教育促进法》正式实施，提出了一系列支持民办教育的措施。比如，非营利性民办学校可以享受与公办学校同等的税收优惠和土地政策。民办大学有望将来在中国高等教育中发挥更大的作用。
“We hope that after 20 or 30 years, there will be a group of famous private universities in China like the Westlake University, which could be well respected in China and by the world,” Shi told China Youth Daily.
“我想大家可以想象20年、30年之后，会有一批像西湖大学这样卓越的民办大学，一样为国家和世界做出贡献。”施一公在接受《中国青年报》采访时表示。
