Fudan University president suggests 'Lego thinking' to transform academic disciplines

"Lego thinking" model should be adopted to transform the structure of academic disciplines at universities, enhancing their plug-and-play capability to meet the evolving needs of national and societal development, Jin Li, a deputy to the National People's Congress, said on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of NPC, the country's top legislative body.

Jin, who is also president of Fudan University in Shanghai, likened traditional academic disciplines to boxes filled with Lego pieces, emphasizing that universities must now assemble specific Lego structures based on the needs of society and the nation.

"Such a 'Lego-style' academic system will allow limited components to perform multiple tasks, avoiding the bloated expansion of disciplines and promoting interdisciplinary integration," Jin said, adding that about 80 percent of Fudan University's key focus areas currently involve interdisciplinary work.

He further highlighted that the traditional model of academic construction at universities no longer meets the country's requirements of today for establishing a leading educational power. There exists a pressing need to shift from a purely academic logic to one that serves technological, industrial, and societal needs.

Fudan University has pivoted its focus from building key disciplines to serving strategic areas. All the key focus areas at the university align with the major development plans of the central government, the Ministry of Education, and the Shanghai government. Two-thirds of these key areas are directly connected to the emerging pillar industries and future industrial layouts at the national or Shanghai level, he said.