Presentation of TC Honorary Professorship to Gu Mingyuan of Beijing Normal University
by Henry M. Levin

October 12, 2008

“Professor Gu Mingyuan.  In behalf of President Susan Fuhrman of Teachers College, Columbia University, I confer upon you the title of Honorary Professor.  As a symbol of that important honor, I hand you the TC Medal for Distinguished Service as a Scholar and Educational Leader who has influenced generations of educators in both China and beyond.

I want you to know that this is a very special honor for us at Teachers College, given our long history in Chinese education.  Starting in 1910 we received a flow of student students who became very distinguished educators in China, guided by our most famous professor, John Dewey and our pioneer in international education, Professor Paul Monroe.  Monroe came to China 8 times, and John Dewey spent more than two years, from 1919 to 1921 lecturing throughout China at the invitation of the government.  Between 1910 and 1930 more than 1000 Chinese students attended Teachers College, one of every five Chinese students studying in the U.S.

Among them were three presidents of Beijing Normal University, Chen Baoquan, Li Zheng, and Li Jianxun and two presidents of Peking University, Hu Shi and Jian Menglin. In addition, 10 TC graduates served as Ministers of Education.

In 2000 Professor Mun C. Tsang established the Center on Chinese Education with the goal of renewing this important relationship.  That center has now become a noted and vital entity of seminars, courses, research, visiting scholars. 

Although the TC Medal for distinguished service, the highest award granted by the College, is given to a few highly selected and noted scholars and practitioners, this is the first time, to my knowledge, that it has been awarded as an Honorary Professorship. 

Congratulations Professor Gu.  We are now colleagues.”

[http://www.tc.columbia.edu/centers/coce/]