On the afternoon of May 26^th, Jingjing Hall on Minhang Campus of SJTU was all packed with students attending the first class of “Introduction to Social Practice” lectured by Professor Xu Fei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of SJTU. Hence, this general education course was formally started. More than 2000 sophomores took Professor Xu Fei’s course.

Why could the US grasp the opportunity to build the Information Super Highway and lead New Economy? Why are papers written by Chinese scholars just passive follow-ups of existing thesis in foreign countries? What will happen if non-Euclidena geometries are used to illustrate scientific reasoning?

Firstly, Professor Xu Fei persuaded young students into exploring problems under the surface by telling a series of cases and examples. Apart from the passion for identifying questions, unremitting practice is indispensable to solve problems. “Being familiar with something does not mean you really know it. And true knowledge is gained through practice”, said Professor Xu Fei. He explained the modern meaning of “Great pleasure is derived from learning and constantly reviewing what has been learned” from the Analects of Confucius in a new way. He pointed out that “xi” in the original verse referred to not merely reviewing but practicing. Besides, he quoted Chinese and foreign classics and anecdotes to encourage students to conduct practice in solving problems and learn from practice with a pragmatic attitude and the spirit of truth-seeking. “The superficial glamour will disappear in the end. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth”.

The general education course “Social Practice” is a testing credit course set by SJTU to better the construction of the "Three in One” System of Nurturing Top Innovative Talents, aimed at conducting management over the teaching, organizing, practicing, defending, and summarizing of social practice and activities through credit identification, professional tutoring, team follow-up and other more scientific, standardized, and effective measures. The course is designed to encourage students to step into the real society, to motivate them in exerting their own professional advantages, and to develop creative and meaningful social practical activities so that they will be polished into competitive talents with excellent skills and solid foundation who can assimilate into and serve the society in a better way.