Distinguished guests, ladies, gentlemen and friends:
Good morning.
It’s a great pleasure to be here with you in Rizhao, a beautiful coastal city, to discuss how to promote youth navigation education in China. On behalf of China Institution of Navigation(CIN), I would like to deliver warm welcome to all guests and express heartfelt thanks to all the social circles who have been concerned about and supported the development of China’s navigational cause for a long time!
In recent years, although positive progress has been made in our country’s youth navigation education, it is still in a situation of late start, not wide scope, and insufficient depth. There is a lack of introductory navigation education, effective popularization measures, and relevant policy support. In order to effectively promote and improve the current situation and solve the existing problems, CIN, together with Tao XingZhi Education Foundation and other units, set up Youth Navigation Education Fund. During the National People’s Congress and the Chinese Political Consultative Conference this year, several members of CIN and I jointly put forward proposals to strengthen the youth navigation education. Today, we will focus on this topic for discussion, with the purpose of further gathering consensus and forming joint forces. Here, I would like to make a few comments or suggestions, hoping to get your response.
Firstly, strengthen sea power strategy and consolidate the basic construction of the youth navigation education. As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, an economic power must be a maritime power and a shipping power. The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China also clearly stated that “pursue coordinated land and marine development and accelerate maritime power construction”. To implement the spirit of the instructions, we must attach great importance to sea power strategy, starting with youth navigation education. To build a maritime power, it is necessary to raise the nation’s awareness of maritime and navigation, especially from an early age to cultivate a strong sense of maritime nationhood and the navigation spirit against all odds. We should help the youth learn the history of Chinese navigation and understand the lessons behind “abandoning the sea and declining”. In addition, we need to guide the youth to inherit and promote Chinese nautical culture, sow the seeds of love for the ocean and navigation in their young hearts, strengthen their cultural confidence, explore the ocean, and set sail with bloom.
Secondly, strengthen top-level design and establish a long-term mechanism for youth navigation education. It is necessary to study and develop guidelines to further strengthen youth navigation education, improve the policy measures to support it. To further broaden and build a platform for youth navigation knowledge education, constantly improve the content system of youth navigation knowledge education, we need to innovate the ways and methods of navigation knowledge education, make navigation knowledge education a compulsory course for youth growth, stimulate their desire to actively explore navigation history and knowledge, and constantly increase the future talent pool of the motherland in building a strong maritime and shipping power.
Thirdly, strengthen cooperation and unite the strong force of navigation education for youth. It is necessary to start from the source, strengthen the research on navigation popular science education for youth, select the contents of navigation education, establish a scientific and efficient navigation education system and curriculum, promote important navigation knowledge into teaching materials and classes, cultivate their navigation consciousness and spirit from childhood, and effectively promote nautical culture and technology. In this regard, we need not only to give full play to the leading role of the education sectors, but also to focus on the collaborative support of all parties in society, to truly form a strong synergy of the whole society to care, support and promote the navigation education of youth. Here, I would like to thank the national education department for attaching great importance to my proposal and putting forward specific measures. I have heard the feedback about important navigation knowledge being included in textbooks and in primary and secondary school classrooms. I hope it will become a reality as soon as possible.
Fourthly, strengthen carrier construction, and create a rich base for youth navigation education. It is necessary to focus on the development idea of “build culture, expand connotation, and create characteristics”, and build a number of navigation education brand bases with wide influence for youth. In addition, we need to optimize and integrate education resources, make use of existing wharf, ships and other nautical facilities to establish practical bases for youth navigation knowledge education, and rely on museums, science and technology museums and other resources around the world to gradually establish navigation knowledge display areas. We also need to carry forward the leading role of existing navigation popular science education bases to meet the requirements of social practice and summer camp activities for primary and secondary school students. By doing so, the majority of youth can learn in experience, improve in learning, enhance their interest and learning effect.
Fifthly, strengthen publicity and promotion, and create a good atmosphere for youth navigation education. It is necessary to make full use of China Maritime Forum 2020, Youth Navigation Education Forum and other platforms to widely disseminate the nautical culture and carry forward the navigation spirit of the new era. Through various forms and channels, especially the popular ways of youth, such as new media communication and the navigation music composition competition, we need to make navigation knowledge education for youth characteristic, extensive and socialized. we should unite the whole society to initiative the navigation education for youth, so as to form a consensus and create a better atmosphere for the whole society to care and support the navigation education and nautical culture construction.
Guests and friends:
Is maritime transportation important? The answer is absolutely yes! Without maritime transportation, half of the world would starve or freeze. Maritime transportation occupies a very important position in the development of the national economy of each country. We have the responsibility and obligation to guide more young people to love the ocean and our country’s navigational cause! With the great progress of nautical technology, navigation is no longer an adventure, it is a decent profession and interesting job. Future navigation will be more of intelligent navigation supported by technology and art, and will attract more young people to embrace a beautiful world of work games. Now, let’s work together and make our contribution to building a strong maritime and shipping power, and to realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!
Finally, I wish the forum a great success!
Thank you！