Education system needs a rethink

Talking about her future, my friend Dora told me recently that she'd rather learn embroidery than go to college, which surprised me no end. Her words reflected her aversion to college education and led me to review our higher education system.

There are some unusual phenomena that are worthy of consideration. Isn't it tragic to see hundreds of PhD students applying for a post that requires only a bachelor's degree? Is it true students are bound to lose their dream of getting a job the day they graduate?

Nowadays, entering college seems to be the only choice teenagers have. But graduates don't seem to meet the diverse demands of society. For example, technicians in different fields are in demand but college students lack the essential skills to do such jobs.

Perhaps it would be better to let technically oriented youngsters go to schools that offer special technical training. That could ease some of the unemployment problem.

Shen Qing

Via e-mail

For want of creative tourism promos

A small island in northeastern Queensland, Australia, recently drew the attention of the whole world because it offered the "best job in the world". The $1-million advertisement that generated more than $81.5 million has come to be regarded as "the most successful marketing campaign" and discussed as a case study among MBA students.

One may argue whether the job is indeed the best in the world, but there's no doubt the winner is not only the person who got the job. The media just loved the ad and thus provided a wonderful promotion for local tourism. The campaign is not only generating a buzz worldwide, but also offering hope to the tourism industry to emerge from the blow dealt by the global economic crisis.

This is where China comes in. Despite having abundant tourist resources, the country has not promoted itself well to attract tourists. Take Beijing for example. The city is full of historic spots and places of interest such as the Great Wall, Old Summer Palace, Forbidden City and the now imposing National Stadium. There was a tourism boom before the Beijing Olympic Games. But post-Games, the city has seen a decline in the number of overseas visitors.

What's surprising is the apparent lack of an effective promotion campaign to help the tourism industry in Beijing.

China can learn a lot from the "best job in the world" campaign. Imagine a marketing campaign with a provocative tag line that is lapped up by the world media and netizens. Wouldn't it do wonders to promote China's tourism industry.

The mayor of Zhangjiajie in Hunan province has reportedly become the "ambassador" of the city's music festival. He has even allowed admen to use his caricature in an animation to promote the festival. His caricature in the video clip plays a guitar, sings and dances to welcome people from all over the world to the festival. Such an innovative venture is worthy of praise.

I hope more new and creative ideas and practices are used to promote our country's unique landscapes.

Lishangyin

Via e-mail

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(China Daily 05/14/2009 page9)