Retirees aim to boost teaching in western region

Four retired professors from the prestigious Nankai University in Tianjin were honored as the "most beautiful team" during the recently concluded 2022 "Most Beautiful Teachers" event.

The award, sponsored by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Ministry of Education, honors the country's most dedicated teachers each year on Sept 10, which is Teachers' Day.

The four are members of the Yinling teaching team, founded by the university to help improve teaching in China's western region.

Yinling, which means "the age of silver hair", refers to senior citizens age 60 or older.

They started teaching at Kashi University in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, last year.

"In joining the team, I have realized a dream I've had since I became a teacher 50 years ago, to teach in western China and share my vision with students from different ethnic groups," said Zhao Tiesuo, a 71-year-old professor and former dean of the School of Marxism at Nankai, and oldest of the four members.

Zhao has donated 10 U disks (a hard drive in USB form) containing teaching materials as well as 200 books he has collected over his career to Kashi University since last year.

He said the students were at a critical age in which their outlook on the world and life is being shaped, so he worked to bridge the age gap between them.

Zhao also integrated elements of Xinjiang history into his classes.

For example, he highlighted the life story of the five Uygur martyrs, including Ehmetjan Qasimi, who dedicated themselves to boosting unity among ethnic groups and founding New China.

The students seem to have appreciated his efforts.

"He is passionate about illustrating history using vivid pictures and facts ... and he has a great sense of humor," said Horigul Abdukadir, a student at the university's School of Marxism. "We are very much impressed."