Open source education at PKU

This semester I decided to transfer to the philosophy department at Peking University while also auditing a few classes in the Chinese and History departments. These departments are largely more “traditional” PKU departments than the international affairs department, meaning the professors are older, the classes are more developed, less oriented on Power Points, and more nuanced in lecture style. I am extremely pleased with my decision.

I think the aspect of these departments that I am most in awe of is the extent to which the classes are “open-source.” University education in the United States is extremely expensive and also rather exclusive in that you never find random people in your classes. This is either due to deliberate exclusivity on behalf of the university’s regulations, or the fact that there is simply no will from other people to listen in on college classes.

At PKU, this is completely different. I have talked to devout Christians who are genetic engineers in my theology class, a commercial broadcaster in my Classical Chinese class, a manager of a software company in my complexity science class, a high school student being forced to study economics in an Ancient Egyptian history class, etc. etc.

The professors are extremely amicable to these outsiders and it is a established tradition of PKU to have outsiders listen in on classes. In one class, a professor reflected on how there was absolutely no more room in a classroom for interested listeners so the professor lectured close to the window and had people listen by standing outside. I find this spirit to learn and spirit to teach admirable and contagious and I would be interested to know if it is widely occurring at all Chinese universities.