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National Party and Governmental Leaders Care about YAU
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Yan’an University is the first comprehensive university founded by the Communist Party of China during the Yan’an Times; it has a glorious history and strong tradition. The establishment of this university attained a special political and historical position in the history of the new democratic revolution and modern history of higher education of china. In the 70 years since its foundation, four generations of CPC leadership and other Party and governmental leaders, as well as senior proletarian revolutionaries have shown solicitude and support to Yan’an University.
I. Chairman Mao: deep love in the flaming years
Presiding over the founding meeting: In 1941, under the extremely difficult and grim situation of the Anti-Japan War, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to establish a formal university in Yan’an, “to meet the necessary trend of normalization of cadre schools.” On July 13 and 30, 1941, the Central Politburo held meetings, presided over by Mao Zedong, to discuss the matter of establishing Yan’an University. On July 30, it was decided: “the Youth Cadre, the Women’s University, and the Northern Shaanxi Public School be merged and named Yan’an University, Comrade Wu Yuzhang will be President, and Comrade Zhao Yimin will be Vice President.” |
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Mao Zedong, Zhu De and Wu Yuzhang |
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Mao Zedong and Zhou Yang |
Choosing the university name personally: In the mid 1960s, while recalling Yan’an University, Elder Wu (Yuzhang) said: “When I asked Chairman Mao for instruction about the university name, Chairman Mao said: ‘It’s better to call it Yan’an University.’ Chairman Mao gave a speech at the inauguration ceremony and gave definite instructions about how to run the university well.”
Speech at the opening ceremony: Mao Zedong visited Yan’an University and its affiliated Lu Xun College of Arts, Academy of Natural Science, and College of Public Administration. He interviewed students, and gave speeches many times. On May 24, 1944, when Yan’an University was holding the spring opening ceremony at the Bordering Region Hall, Mao Zedong, Zhu De and other central leaders came to participate. What is more, Mao Zedong gave a long speech at the ceremony, pointing out that Yan’an University is a political, economic, and cultural university. He gave concrete and definite instructions about school policy and tasks. In October 1945, Mao Zedong saw off YAU graduates who were sent to work in the liberated regions, and gave an interview to the principal leaders of the university and its colleges. When talked about moving the university to the northeast, Mao Zedong pointed out: “You should go to the northeast, the situation is intense there, it is a place to contest for, and now the enemy is strong and we are weak….You go to the Northeast to vie for the youth, and run the university.” Mao Zedong bade the university leaders especially and said: “It is easy for an army to establish a regime or a division, but to construct a university is not easy, from the leading group to the working group. During a march, all the regions may ask you for cadres. Do not dismantle the working party lightly; use every conceivable means to keep the university working group well.” On November 15, escorted by Zhou Yang, Mao Zedong received the teachers of Lu Xun College of Arts and the Academy of Natural Science going to northern China and the northeast at the border of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia Region, and expressed the CPC Central Committee’s cordial solicitude and expectation for them. |
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Mao Zedong giving a speech to students of Lu Xun College of Arts, YAU |
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II. Zhou Enlai: kindness in the special years
Like Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai’s splendid name was closely related to the fortitudinous development of Yan’an University during the flaming years. Zhou Enlai purchased many precious books and equipment for experiments and sent them to Yan’an through untold hardships He chose and sent many prestigious professors from the Kuomintang ruled regions to Yan’an breaking through numerous blockades. He also organized many prospective students in the Kuomintang ruled regions, and organized escorted them to Enlai. What teachers and students of YAU remember with deep gratitude forever is that the construction and development of YAU after the foundation of new China also touched the constantly and agitating heart of Premier Zhou. In 1958, Yan’an University was reestablished, the conditions for schooling were very simple, crude and difficult, and many teachers and students were emotionally unsettled. Over thirty freshmen of the Chemical (Physical) Program wrote to Premier Zhou, reporting on the status quo of the university, and asked the Premier for support and help. The next spring, soon after opening of the new semester, the department declared unexpectedly that all students of the Chemical (Physical) Program would go to the Northwest University in April to do physical and chemical experiments for three months. Students were excited at the good news and knew that the Premier had seen their letter. As expected, when students arrived at Northwest University, the persons in charge of the Department of Higher Education of Shaanxi Province took everybody to the Department personally for a symposium. At the symposium, leaders of the Department of Higher Education conveyed the spirit of Premier Zhou’s instructions to the students. Premier Zhou showed sympathy and solicitude to the students first, and then specifically emphasized that the university’s laboratory should be built with every effort as soon as possible.
In 1970, due to the influence of “left” extremists, the Revolutionary Committee of Shaanxi Province decided to disband Yan’an University and have a Yan’an Revolutionary Memorial Museum built on the site of YAU campus. Teachers and students were antagonistic toward the decision but could not openly resist, so they reported the situation to Premier Zhou through relevant channels. Premier Zhou paid close attention to the matter, and immediately entrusted Deng Yingchao with coordinating and solving the problem by holding a symposium of persons in charge of Nanzhou Military Command, CPC Committee of Shaanxi Province, and CPC Committee of Yan’an Prefecture at the Central Liaison Department. After the meeting, Premier Zhou wrote comments personally: “Yan’an University needed not only to be run, but also run big and well.” In accordance with Premier Zhou’s instructions, Shaanxi Province strengthened her leadership and support for YAU in terms of university leadership, budget, capital construction, and professional administration. Meanwhile, under Premier Zhou’s personal solicitude, the Beijing Agricultural University merged with Yan’an University and was moved to the suburb of Beijing. The chaotic situation of the university was reversed. The university readjusted leadership of the principal departments, strengthened the faculty, built teaching buildings, a library, teachers’ housing, and student dormitories. The university again achieved a sense of vitality. |
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III、Ye Jianying: a precious spiritual heritage At four o’clock on March 11, 1959, Marshal Ye Jianying came to inspect Yan’an University. At that time, teachers and students were listening to a speech. When hearing the news, everybody ran forward at once, and pressed around Marshal Ye with roaring cheers. Marshal Ye applauded to give thanks, and shook hands with teachers and students. When everybody calmed down, Marshal Ye told teachers and students many stories about the hard work of the Central Committee of the CPC, the army and the people of the bordering regions during Yan’an Times. |
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Marshal Ye Jianying inspecting Yan’an University |
| Marshal Ye Jianying’s inspection of YAU, and his interviews with students stuck in people’s mind, and bequeathed us precious spiritual wealth. He was the first central Party and governmental leader who visited YAU after it was reestablished. |
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