Why Do I Object to Intellectuals? - Yu Shicun
Translated by Melissa Diao, from Anti’s English Blog:
AEB: Liberalist Yu Shicun is the author of some bestsellers, including Supernormal Words. Here is his latest column on China News Weekly.
The news about the establishment of Sinology College at Renmin University of China has been the focus of media for a while, and there are especially some disputes among the intellectual circle. Despite all these attention and different voices, the Sinology College at Renmin University officially opened recently. On the opening ceremony, the president of the University, Ji Baocheng quoted a letter from the Taiwanese scholar, Nan Huaijin, saying: “Just give your smile to either hypercritical blame or unexpected praise; neither of them deserves much discussion”. This is of course an expression much at ease. The academics have the right to search for aid either privately or publicly. They also enjoy the freedom to choose various studying fields, in which the authority of academic leaders may vary, but any outsider could hardly put on any influence. For instance, a university may start a teaching and research section for official theory of “Three Representatives”, another one may have a major of Deng Xiaoping’s theory etc. It is true that the public and media could either praise or criticize, but it is the choice of an academic body and none of their business.
