In The Mid-1950s, The Research On The Internal Relocation Of Colleges And Universities In Shaanxi

In the mid-1950 s,the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC)decided to rearrange the layout of colleges and universities nationwide by relocating a few colleges and universities from coastal areas,either wholly or partially(some majors and departments),to inland areas.The purpose was to rationalize the economic and cultural layout of the country and adapt to the needs of national defense then.The relocation of colleges and universities to Shaanxi was a typical example of such rearrangement.The relocation of colleges and universities to Shaanxi was a systematic project,involving a series of issues such as plan formulation,publicity and mobilization,site selection and construction,personnel and material transport.The arduousness and complexity of the project was self-evident.However,the first batch of relocation of Jiaotong University,the relocation of East China Institute of Aeronautics to Shaanxi,and the establishment of the Xi'an Institute of Architecture and Engineering and the Xi'an Institute of Power Engineering in Shaanxi were all completed on schedule.This great success was inseparable from the institutional advantage of the socialist system in pooling all resources to conduct key national undertakings,and the awareness of the “big picture” on the part of relocated teachers and students.What needs to be pointed out is that,the "obedience to the overall situation" atmosphere of public opinion concealed the doubts of the relocated teachers and students.Some practical difficulties faced by the faculty and staff were not properly resolved.The huge gap between coastal and inland conditions also,to some extent,affected the effect of relocation.In particular,hidden troubles were laid for the follow-up relocation of Jiaotong University.With the relaxation of the national defense situation and the adjustment of national policies and guidelines,the colleges and universities relocated to Shaanxi began to face new challenges,including the school-running direction of Northwest Institute of Technology,the suspension of Xi'an Power University,the merger of Xi'an Aeronautical Institute,and the relocation of Jiaotong University.The problems faced by the first three universities were all about the future of school development in the context of changes in national policies,while the relocation of Jiaotong University related to the doubts within the university about the necessity of relocation.Among them,the relocation of Jiaotong University attracted much attention.In particular,the school administration committee made the resolutions of "no relocation" and "relocation to Shanghai",which directly affected the progress of the relocation,triggered fluctuations in other units,and was likely to affect higher education layout and overall situation of national construction.Faced with a “butterfly effect”,Zhou Enlai personally presided over the State Council's special meeting on Jiaotong University's relocation,and put forward the general principle that "the policy of supporting the northwest cannot be changed".Upholding the spirit of Zhou Enlai's speech,Jiaotong University re-discussed the issue of relocation,and eventually came up with a new relocation plan of "separation of two places under unified leadership".On the basis of the new relocation plan,the State Council and the Ministry of Higher Education redeployed industrial colleges in Shaanxi and Shanghai.The basic idea of the CPC in solving the problem of relocation was to achieve a balanced development of the country's economy and culture and take into account the interests of all parties concerned.In terms of specific methods,democratic discussion and centralized decision-making were combined.The influence of the relocation of colleges and universities to Shaanxi is far-reaching.Represented by the relocation of Jiaotong University,the initiative profoundly influenced the country's economic and cultural patterns,leading and driving the vigorous development of higher education in the west and providing important talents and technical support for the country to promote the strategy of balanced regional development.At the same time,the "Westward Migration Spirit" exhibited by the westward migration group during the process of moving and taking root in the west has further enriched and sublimated the spiritual pedigree of the CPC.Certainly,confined by the times and the system,the relocation of colleges and universities to Shaanxi also had its limitations,such as imposing administrative orders,ignoring the development laws of higher education itself,and compromising the stability,unity,and discipline development of the colleges and universities relocated to Shaanxi in the short term.In brief,the relocation of colleges and universities to Shaanxi was a strategic deployment by the Central Committee of the CPC,with the purposes of promoting the integration of higher education with the inland economy and industry through national administrative means,serving socialist construction,and achieving balanced regional development.The historical process of decision-making,implementation,controversy,and adjustment,on the one hand,reflected the passiveness and response of higher education in face of changing political environments such as the domestic and international situation.On the other hand,it mirrored the interactions and games among the forces involved,including the state,local governments,and relocated colleges and universities,teachers,and students.Seen from the final adjustment results,the relocation properly coordinated local interests with the interests of relocated colleges and universities,teachers,and students on the basis of implementing the strategy of balanced regional development.