Home page

Across China, university staff, researchers, students, and farmers are joining forces to promote rural development studies. Learning from the Field shows how these traditionally disparate groups can work together for curriculum reform.

LEARNING FROM THE FIELD
Innovating China’s Higher Education System

Edited by Ronnie Vernooy, Li Xiaoyun, Xu Xiuli, Lu Min, and Qi Gubo

Foundation Books/IDRC 2008
ISBN 978-81-7596-601-7
e-ISBN 978-1-55250-408-6
260 pp.


“During the days in the field, we got to know the farmers… They are unpretending, loyal, and warm-hearted. This experience is a rich treasure in my life.”
– Zhang Ziqin, course participant

Across China, university staff, researchers, students, and farmers are joining forces to promote rural development studies. Learning from the Field shows how these traditionally disparate groups can work together for curriculum reform. The book showcases the manner in which innovative ideas about curriculum reform are born, put into practice, and further refined through a joint experiential, learning-by-doing approach.

Learning from the Field presents first-hand lessons and experience. It highlights participants’ motivations and perspectives, the nature of their participation, the challenges encountered, and the results obtained. It draws on the personal experiences of the authors and the findings of the action research that guided the process. Finally, it shows how the process of curriculum revision has contributed to translating China’s higher education policy reforms into practice.

THE EDITORS

Ronnie Vernooy is Senior Program Specialist, International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada, and Adjunct Professor, College of Humanities and Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing. Li Xiaoyun is Professor and Dean, College of Humanities and Development, China Agricultural University. Xu Xiuli is Associate Professor, College of Humanities and Development, China Agricultural University. Lu Min is Associate Professor, College of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun. Qi Gubo is Professor and Director, Rural Development and Management Programme, College of Humanities and Development, China Agricultural University.

CONTENTS

Foreword – Norman Uphoff
Preface
Acknowledgements

Chapter 1. A new journey
Li Xiaoyun, Qi Gubo, Lu Min, Xu Xiuli, Ronnie Vernooy

Chapter 2. Preparations: every long journey begins with a first step
Qi Gubo, Xu Xiuli, Lu Min, Ronnie Vernooy

Chapter 3. The first CBNRM course in Beijing: an itinerary of remarkable experiences
Xu Xiuli, Qi Gubo, Zuo Ting, Lu Min, Li Jingsong, Song Yiching, Yuan Juanwen, Long Zhipu, Mao Miankui, Ji Miao, Gao Xiaowei, Chen Keke, Liu Lin, Ronnie Vernooy

Chapter 4. The 2006 CBNRM course: masters of our destiny
Qi Gubo, Xu Xiuli, Li Jingsong, Long Zhipu, Sun Qiu, Wang Wanying, Zhang Li, Zhang Ziqin, Yang Huan, Ronnie Vernooy

Chapter 5. The participatory rural development course in Changchun: creating a road by walking together
Lu Min, Song Yiching, Zhang Dayu, Cheng Zhiqiang, Liu Lili, Li Xinjie, Cheng Huawei, Zhang Nailing, Huang Jingjing, Ronnie Vernooy

Chapter 6. The fellowship support program: learning in the field
Xu Xiuli, Yang Huan, Mao Miankui, Lu Min, Qi Gubo, Ronnie Vernooy

Chapter 7. The fruits of teamwork: a synthesis of our learning
Ronnie Vernooy, Qi Gubo, Lu Min, Xu Xiuli, Li Jingsong, Long Zhipu, Yang Huan, Zhang Li

Glossary
Appendix
References

Associated links

• http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-122332-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html