Whether universities should "walk out of the ivory tower" has always been a hot topic, but some universities in Britain may not consider this issue because they were named "red brick universities" at the beginning of their establishment, in contrast to the ivory tower. David Easterloo, president of Birmingham University, the first "red brick university" in Britain, also used this comparison to talk about the relationship between university and society in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency. The name "ivory tower" comes from some classical universities. It used to praise universities for being refined, but now it is often used to criticize universities for being divorced from social reality. Yi Shilu said: "It is often used to refer to universities that are far away from reality and are not closely connected with the surrounding society. (In this sense) we will definitely not make ivory towers. "

On the other hand, "Red Brick University sounds like a university located in the city and connected with the real world, which is exactly our position."

"Red Brick University" is a general term for many universities in Britain. The name comes from the fact that their campus buildings are mostly made of red bricks produced in large quantities in the industrial age, and it also includes the history of some British cities establishing them after the great development of the industrial revolution. Among them, Birmingham University, located in Birmingham, the second largest city and industrial center in the UK, is the first red brick university in the UK to obtain the "Royal Charter" which can give British universities formal status (1900).

Yi Shilu said that the "red brick university" is characterized by its close ties with the surrounding society. This connection is distributed at different levels through various channels: simply show the public what teachers and students are studying and learning through campus open days and other activities; At a deeper level, universities participate in urban development. For example, Birmingham recently put forward a development plan called "Science City", and Birmingham University undertook many tasks.

This connection is a win-win cooperation between the university and its host city. Yi Shilu said: "Birmingham University has gained a lot of resources, such as health care and advanced manufacturing; University research can help stimulate and promote Birmingham's local economy. "

For students, this connection has brought important and practical benefits, and they have obtained a lot of internship opportunities from local industries. Compared with those students who only know book knowledge and have little contact with society, students who have accumulated work experience in advance are obviously more popular with employers when they graduate.

/kloc-for more than 0/00 years, the "Red Brick University" which has taken the road of "non-ivory tower" has won respect and recognition. At present, a number of "red brick universities" such as Birmingham University, Manchester University and Liverpool University are all members of Russell Group, a British elite university alliance.

Under the background of globalization, Yi Shilu believes that the "real world" that universities need to contact should not be limited to their cities and regions, but should be extended to the international stage. Therefore, Birmingham University has set up branches in the United States, Brazil, India and China to encourage students to take advantage of short-term seminars, summer study and other opportunities to exchange overseas, so as to help students accumulate experience in international cooperation, which will also help improve their competitiveness.

In 2009, Yi Shilu, who became the president, had a "clear plan" for the future of Birmingham University, and "based on Birmingham, build a global university". This is closely related to the tradition of "Red Brick University" connecting with the real world. In Yi Shilu's view, a large number of internship opportunities brought by the docking of universities with local society and the international vision brought by the docking with the global stage will become two down-to-earth "paving bricks" prepared by the school for students.