Recently, when the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is about to be held, Hu Jinyan, secretary of the university party committee, was interviewed by the reporter from Qingdao Daily on the development of the university in the past ten years and future development plans, focusing on talent training, discipline construction, international school running and serving Qingdao, etc. On the other hand, they had an in-depth dialogue and exchange on issues such as the running situation of 30th anniversary of the university's merger, the construction of talent teams, and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.

When talking about talent training, Hu Jinyan emphasized that it is necessary to focus on establishing an ecology for fostering virtue trough education. He said that Qingdao University has more than 10,000 graduates every year, and it is their responsibility to bring these 10,000 graduates to the society. “Whether we can finish the answer sheet of education well, the answer lies in the students.” Hu Jinyan said that in recent years, Qingdao University has continued to deepen the comprehensive reform of the "One, Two, Three, Four and Five" collaborative education system, and comprehensively promoted the improvement of the quality of talent training. "One" refers to fostering virtue through education, which is the core of the system; "Two" refers to the combination of knowledge education and personality education, which is the support of the system; "Third" refers to the whole-staff, the whole-process, and all-round education, which are the ways of educating; "Four" refers to warmth, consideration, kindness, tenderness, which are the methods of educating; "Five" refers to help students go to adulthood, become useful people, amount to something, make an achievement and meet with success, which are the goals of educating. Under such a system, Qingdao University strives to promote ideological and political education and professional education. Through the construction of ideological and political teacher, curriculum, major, team, culture and student, which form six-in-one ideological and political education system, university strives to create an ideological and political education ecology, so that the ideological and political concept could be embedded in the whole process of talent training.

Hu Jinyan stressed that for professional education, Qingdao University has carried out a thorough reform of undergraduate majors in recent years, in accordance with the principle of "controlling scale, optimizing structure, strengthening connotation, creating characteristics and quality first", creating a first-class major construction model with the goal of "quality improvement", establishing the dynamic adjustment mechanism guided by "slimming and strengthening body", activating talent training model featuring "one core and three wings", forming a modernization construction path with "major group" as a breakthrough, building a industry-education integration education paradigm with "industrial college" as the model, and formulating a quality assurance system with "major certification" as the focus. The number of undergraduate majors has been compressed from 102 to 79, with an increase of 2 emerging majors. At present, 39 majors of Qingdao University have been selected as national first-class undergraduate major construction sites, and 17 majors have been selected as provincial first-class undergraduate major construction sites. The total number of national and provincial construction sites ranks first among provincial universities. At the same time, university continues to expand its postgraduate majors. At present, it has 41 first-level discipline master's programs and 28 master's degree types, basically achieving full coverage of discipline categories. It has 14 first-level discipline doctoral programs and 3 professional degree doctoral programs, which has the largest number among provincial universities and has laid a solid foundation for building a high-level comprehensive research university.

When talking about the construction of disciplines, Hu Jinyan believes that the construction of disciplines cannot be the "plain guerrilla", but to advance to the "plateau" and "peak", so that "there are plateaus on the surface and peaks on the point". He pointed out that discipline construction is the eternal theme of the development of colleges and universities, it is the leader of the top-level design of the development strategy planning of colleges and universities, and at the same time, it is the landing place of the five functions of colleges and universities. Since 2019, Qingdao University has promoted the "college-run university", with the college as the main body, and the five functions of university personnel training, scientific research, and social services and so on have been "felled" into the college. "The elements of discipline, academics, scholars, and students are all in the college. The better the university is, the more each of its colleges will like a university." Hu Jinyan said that the college should make its own planning, take the discipline as the leader, and promote the college's career. At the same time, when the college is well established, there will be "four beams and eight pillars" of the discipline. The effect of "college running the university" is obvious. In 2017, there were only 7 doctoral programs in Qingdao University, and there were 3 disciplines in the top 1% of the world. None of the disciplines was ranked among the world-class disciplines of Soft Science. In less than 5 years, the number of doctoral programs has increased to 17. The number of disciplines in the top 1% of the global ranking has increased to 12, and the number of world-class disciplines in the Soft Science has increased to 17. Individual indicators have surpassed that of provincial universities, and are far ahead of them.

Hu Jinyan said that for universities to strengthen discipline construction, an important starting point is the construction of doctoral programs. "With a doctoral program, the talents introduced can make a difference. They can do academics, engage in scientific research, and lead a team, especially for high-level talents." Hu Jinyan said, "talents are like airplanes, and doctoral programs are like airports. The planes circle in the sky to see if there is an airport here. Without an airport, they couldn’t land and would fly away. In the next step, Qingdao University should optimize the discipline structure by increasing cultivation, independent dynamic adjustment and others, strive to achieve full coverage of doctoral programs, allowing talents to "land" in various disciplines, and accelerates the construction and development of disciplines. On this basis, Qingdao University further proposed that all disciplines should go to the "plateau", and some disciplines should go to the "peak", so that "there are plateaus on the surface and peaks on the point". At present, Qingdao University is striving to create three "peak disciplines", one is textile science and engineering, which is now ranked fifth in China; the second is systems science, which ranks second in China; the third is medical discipline, which is an individual discipline in the medical category, should run to the "peak".

Hu Jinyan emphasized that Qingdao University is now promoting a new reform, namely the construction of discipline clusters. The first is to create three discipline clusters of "Textile +", "Systems +" and "Medicine +" on the "peak discipline". The second is to create 4 "plateau" subject clusters, including "economic management+", "cultural creativity +", "normal education +", "new energy +" subject clusters. Through the "3+4" discipline cluster layout, Qingdao University strives to build a number of peak disciplines, which will radiate and drive the overall improvement of other disciplines and promote the university's high-quality development.

When talking about running an international university, Hu Jinyan pointed out that it is necessary to rely on the construction of the SCO Demonstration Zone to cultivate new growth points for running an international university. He said that the development of modern higher education is a process of continuous opening and internationalization, and international influence is an important symbol to measure the level of running a university. Since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China is promoting a wider and deeper opening to the outside world. Colleges and universities need to take the initiative to embrace the world and "go out". At present, Qingdao University is promoting the internationalization of faculty, talent training, scientific research, and campus environment. Taking the teaching staff as an example, the university introduces 200 talents every year, 40% of which are overseas talents.

Hu Jinyan pointed out the Qingdao University's international running countermeasures. First, focus on curriculum majors, create "one college, one course" and "one college, multiple courses", and lead major construction with courses; second, focus on international project cooperation and exchanges, "one college, one university" "one college with multiple universities", each college selects at least one foreign university for substantive cooperation; third, to take advantage of Qingdao's opportunity to build a socialist modern international metropolis in the new era and promote the construction of the SCO Demonstration Zone to cultivate an international school new growth point. He said that the SCO Demonstration Zone and the SCO Institute of Economics and Trade settled in Jiaozhou, which are two historic opportunities for Qingdao University. At present, Qingdao University is promoting the construction of the SCO campus, and as the main body of implementation, it leads the development of the SCO Institute of Economics and Trade. Relying on this, the Qingdao University is deploying the "one country, one university" plan, that is, the university has at least one international cooperation project in each SCO-related country to play the "SCO card" well.

When talking about serving Qingdao, Hu Jinyan pointed out that it is necessary to open up a "new world" for win-win cooperation between university and city through "one body and four wings". Hu Jinyan said that universities are flourishing because of cities, and cities are prosperous because of universities. As a university named after a city, Qingdao University resonates with Qingdao at the same frequency, and should be based in Qingdao, integrate into Qingdao, and serve Qingdao. The last university leadership team specially launched the "Qingdao University Serving Qingdao Plan"; the current leadership team released the "Qingdao University Serving Qingdao New and Old Kinetic Energy Conversion Major Project White Paper" in 2018, launching 12 sections and 78 projects. Each project has corresponding scientists and industries. Based on this, Qingdao University has carried out in-depth cooperation with various districts and cities, as well as Haier, Hisense, Qingte and other enterprises.

Hu Jinyan emphasized that facing the "14th Five-Year Plan", Qingdao University further strengthened social service work, and proposed the work idea of "one body and four wings". "One body" is based on the development of the university's career. The first wing of the "four wings" refers to the construction of the SCO campus, relying on the SCO campus to serve the SCO Demonstration Zone and serve the needs of the SCO's economic development; the second wing refers to the development of medical undertakings, with scientific research leading to clinical practice, and high-level medicine leading to high-level medical care, will create an important medical highland in the north; the third wing refers to the development of normal education (basic education), serving the development of basic education in Qingdao with small and refined, small and excellent, small and strong normal education; the fourth wing refers to scientific, technological, cultural and social services, facing the development of the 14th Five-Year Plan, Qingdao University has also formulated an action plan for serving Shandong and Qingdao in the 14th Five-Year Plan, with a more positive attitude and more high-level results serve the higher-quality development of Shandong and Qingdao. Not long ago, Qingdao Science and Technology Bureau and Qingdao University jointly released the "Work Plan for Promoting the Implementation and Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements of Qingdao University", which is the first work plan released by Qingdao to promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements in colleges and universities in Qingdao, and also start the new round of colleges and institutions serving the local action plan. "I believe that with the strong support of the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government, and the coordinated promotion of colleges and universities in Qingdao and all sectors of society, we will surely open up a new world of integrated development, mutual promotion, and win-win cooperation between university and city, and jointly create Qingdao feature, Qingdao quality, and Qingdao highland of  transformation of scientific and technological achievements." Hu Jinyan said.

When talking about the 30th anniversary of the merger of universities next year, Hu Jinyan pointed out that in 1993, the original Qingdao University, Shandong Textile Engineering Institute, Qingdao Medical College and Qingdao Teachers College merged to form a new Qingdao University, and the university entered a brand-new development period. In the past 30 years, the effect of joint colleges has been fully exerted. He said that in the past in Shandong universities, the influence was not large enough, and it can be said that their influence has been increasing over the years. Especially in the past ten years, with the efforts of several generations, the university has developed rapidly, and various indicators are at the forefront of Shandong provincial universities, and most of the comprehensive indicators and core indicators are ranked first in provincial universities, and the ranking in the country is also moving forward. At present, their various indicators are comprehensively ranked in about 70 domestic colleges and universities, and some indicators are among the top 50, showing the strong trend of development. In 2018, the third party congress of Qingdao University put forward the development orientation of "based on Qingdao, integrating into Qingdao, serving Qingdao, seeking development in serving Shandong's transformation of new and old kinetic energy and seeking breakthroughs in the national 'double first-class' construction". Last year, they put forward the goal of building a high-level comprehensive research university. According to the "14th Five-Year" development plan issued by the university, we hope that its development will usher in a qualitative leap in the next few years, and one of the phased goals is to make breakthroughs in the construction of "double first-class" universities.

When talking about the construction of the talent team, Hu Jinyan pointed out that the construction of the talent team is the top priority for any university. In recent years, Qingdao University has formed a series of academic achievements, which are all based on talents. The measures they have taken in the construction of the talent team are "increase in stock and rise in increments". In terms of “increments”, they introduce 200 doctors from home and abroad every year, and set up a special-term professor talent project, including chief professors, special-appointed first- and second-level professors, and outstanding talents. At present, the proportion of full-time teachers with doctorates is close to 70%, and this proportion will continue to increase; they have hired 80 high-level talents such as academicians of the two academies, overseas academicians, and Changjiang Outstanding Youth; nearly 130 provincial-level talents such as Taishan scholars, which ranks the first in Shandong provincial colleges and universities. In terms of “stock”, their own training is also very effective. In recent years, talents at various levels such as Changjiang Scholars, Outstanding Youth, and Excellent Youth have grown up. Last year alone, they cultivated 5 national-level high-level talents and break the historical record, which is very difficult for provincial colleges and universities. Hu Jinyan said that in order to better introduce talents, they continue to strengthen the pressure and motivation of the college to introduce talents. He often emphasizes that not attracting talents is a waste of talents, and attracting bad talents is a waste of resources. If you fail to attract talents for 5 years, a wave of talents will pass, just like if you don’t farm land for 5 years, the land will be abolished; talents account for the index, if you introduce “personnel” instead of “talent”, then you will get into trouble. Therefore, the dean's biggest action is to introduce talents, and his biggest inaction is the brain drain. For talents, it’s necessary to "see clearly, attract in, retain, use well, and come out (stand out)". The first step is to "see it accurately". If you regard a baby elephant as a piglet and a piglet as a baby elephant, then in a few years, the gap between "a 500-pound pig and a 5-ton elephant" will come out.

When talking about the transformation of scientific research achievements, Hu Jinyan emphasized that it is a shortcoming that universities serve the society. In many cases, universities do not pay enough attention to the transformation of achievements. They only recognize the achievements and do not recognize the transformation of achievements, and publishing papers and winning projects are the goals. However, in recent years, China has paid more and more attention to the function of colleges and universities to serve the society, to achieve high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, and to solve the problem of "bottlenecks", which is the responsibility of colleges and universities. In recent years, Qingdao University has continuously improved the transformation mechanism of scientific and technological achievements, upgraded and transformed the original transformation center of scientific and technological achievements, and established the Industrial Technology Research Institute, which is responsible for "connecting universities and regions, gathering information, coordinating cooperation, guiding supply and demand, and recruiting talents". Over the past few years, the effect has gradually emerged, and they have also achieved the transformation of millions and tens of millions of results. They encourage scientific researchers to serve the society, obtain equity and gain income, and change the "sneaky" service of scientific researchers to enterprises and "worker-style" services in the past. They are also taking the initiative to connect with more enterprises, and use demand as the driving force to drive supply, so that enterprises can “issue the questions” and researchers can “answer the questions”. Enterprises lack talents for their own research and development, and have to recruit troops and support people. Universities have a large number of scientific researchers, but lack research and development funds. Cooperation between the two parties can solve this problem. It is like a university with a huge flock of chickens. The rooster is responsible for crowing, which is basic research, and the hen is responsible for laying eggs, which is applied research. Enterprises only need to be responsible for buying feed. The more feed, the fatter the chickens and the more eggs they lay.

When talking about how universities should educate people in the new era and new context, Hu Jinyan pointed out that the current students' discourse system is different. They can’t understand some of their online languages, and their thinking is different from theirs. Their speed of acquiring knowledge is sometimes not as fast as that of students, thus the authority of teachers and the efficiency of discipline are greatly reduced. Hu Jinyan said that in this case, the first thing to do is to turn management to service, to serve students, and to civilize silently. This is why they propose the "Four Warmth" education method, which includes warmth, consideration, kindness, tenderness, so that the education is not simple and extensive but down-to-earth, and students will feel that teachers are friendly, reputable and reliable. The second is to guide students from heteronomy to self-discipline to stimulate their vitality. It is necessary to fully respect students' individuality, freedom, and hobbies, guide them to the right path, and achieve self-realization through self-management. Hu Jinyan emphasized that if students leave without going back after graduation and have no feelings for their Alma Mater at all, it means that the university’s education is not "integrated into the brain and heart"; on the contrary, if students leave here, they miss here and often want to go back and take a look, then the education could be considered as a success.