In this article, professor Zhu talks about the changes brought by the intellectual policy in the past 40 years of reform and opening up, which has made it possible for teachers and scholars to realize their values and ambitions. The year 1978 was a turning point in the author's teaching career, thanks to the intellectual policy, a series of new changes and breakthroughs appeared in his life, study and work. After the reform and opening up, the society showed more respect for knowledge and talents, offered more and more opportunities for the intellectuals to exert their talents and realize their ambitions. The author describes this social phenomenon from the following three points:
First, he could concentrate on the construction of academic projects. The improvement of social atmosphere after the reform and opening up and the trust in intellectuals have enabled the author to focus on the discipline construction for 40 years. After returning to China in 1980, he was appointed to set up the journal Arab World (now known as Arabian World Studies). He has been editor-in-chief for more than 30 years. The theme of journal covered from language and literature to culture, economy, society and national conditions. In the mid-1980s, he took up the management position of the Arabic language department. Through the establishment of a scientific research team in both teaching and research, the Arabic language major developed rapidly and set up master's degree and doctoral degree. After entering the new century, it has become a key subject of Shanghai. After 1996, he devoted himself to research work. First, the Middle East Institute based on the doctoral program in Arabic was admitted to the Ministry of Education's key research. Later, through the introduction of domestic and foreign talents, the collaboration among universities was strengthened and established doctoral degree in international relations at Shanghai International Studies University.
Second, he could participate in people-to-people exchanges and think tank construction. Since the 1990s, the author has served as the vice president of the Middle East Institute of China and the head of the Arabic language teaching guidance committee of the Ministry of Education. The number of foreign visits has increased significantly. He has also been invited to go abroad to participate in international conferences and academic lectures for many times.
After entering the new century, in view of the national situation of the Arab countries, China established the China-Arab Friendship Association in December 2011 and announced the establishment of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in January 2004. The author has served as a member of the first China-Arab Friendship Association. He served as the fourth head of the China-Arab Political Dialogue to visit Egypt and Libya and led a delegation to visit Lebanon and Jordan.
What excites him most is that on July 10, 2018, he was fortunate to participate in the opening ceremony of the eighth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in the Great Hall of the People, when hearing President said, “The China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development that I advocated has operated smoothly and has become an ideological platform for exchange of experience in the reform and opening-up, the country governing.” Since this China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development was proposed by President Xi in the Arab League headquarters in Cairo in January 2016, it has become an important base for Sino-Arab exchanges and think tank construction.
Third, the students that he taught have made great contributions to reform and opening up, and socialist modernization. The teachers shoulder the responsibility of teaching and educating people, they must be clear-minded and pay attention to words and deeds and guide the students to become first-class talents for nation-building. But the most gratifying thing is that the students with worker-peasant-soldier backgrounds and undergraduates he has taught have made contributions to reform and opening up and national development in their own positions. Among them are professors, researchers, ambassadors, consuls, counselors, foreign correspondents, and bureau-level and even higher cadres.
In the end of the article, he expresses his joy during 40 years in reform and opening up and raises his expectations to the future.