Cheers for Open-Gate University in Wuhan

On May 13, Wuhan University eliminated the need for outside visitors to make reservations.

In a reversal of a practice implemented since July 2023, off-campus visitors can now enter through two campus gates by simply having their ID cards swiped on workdays or weekends.

The school's readiness to share its publicly financed campus resources has received rave reviews, with many applauding the school's vision and sense of mission to effect universal social access to its high-quality educational resources.

Many scholars support general campus access as a social consensus, citing the best universities' inclusiveness and openness. In other words, universities are communal assets, not ivory towers.

Wuhan University is known for its stunning scenery, especially in certain seasons, making it particularly commendable.

Some worry about the "chaotic" state a university might face with free access, but a senior professor from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications said only students who were exposed to the real society and people could hope to have a genuine sense of mission to serve the people.

Several other schools in Wuhan, among which are Central China Normal University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, have also instituted an open access policy.

Professor Cao Dongbo of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) also dismissed concerns that an open campus might become a tourist attraction and affect teaching. SUFE was an early campus opener.

Cao also observed that, years ago, during his class at SUFE, he would occasionally see elderly residents sitting quietly in the back rows, who would chat with students after class.

Such scenes of harmonious co-existence would appear strange to those students brought up without such memories, and the correct answer is not resistance to opening up but rehabilitative reconstruction to rebuild trust.

In this reconstruction, for instance, a freshman orientation session could include sessions on town-gown relations, with residents invited to share their stories.

Similarly, off-campus visitors would gradually learn how to be unobtrusive and welcome guests.