John henry newman defined a university as a place to impart knowledge and seek truth.

John henry newman believes that universities should attach importance to the cultivation of spiritual freedom. Through free education, students can think independently, judge and understand, master learning skills, and become versatile people, not people with only one skill.

John henry newman, the archbishop and educator of Oxford Movement in England, is known as "the great advocate of liberal education" and a representative figure of the revival of liberal education in Britain.

Based on this understanding, I have the following insights:

First, a strong university makes a strong country. Talent cultivation is not simply imparting knowledge. Instead, students need to establish an organic connection between theoretical knowledge, practical problems and imagination, and make this connection become the basic quality of students.

With this basic quality, students can apply knowledge to understand reality, solve problems and realize innovation no matter what occupation they are engaged in after graduation.

Second, universities can shape students' minds and hearts. After the baptism of the university, a person's knowledge, understanding and application will be branded with profound ideological traces.

Third, young people are full of imagination but lack knowledge, while teachers who have knowledge may not have imagination. And the university is the place where the two are organically combined. Imagination updates knowledge, and knowledge makes imagination rational. Rational imagination is realistic creativity.

"Without knowledge, it is foolish to act only by imagination; ? Without imagination, it is pedantic to act only by knowledge. "

Finally, let's see how Mr Whitehead, a British mathematician, philosopher and educational theorist, will answer the question "What should a university be like?".

In his book The Purpose of Education, he wrote:

"The real reason for the existence of universities is that through creative academic exploration, young people and old people can work together to keep the connection between knowledge and vitality. Of course, universities should impart knowledge and use imagination to impart knowledge. This is the university's minimum contribution to society. Without this, there would be no place for universities.