已经不是第一次来这个城市了,不过还是第一次两个人来。老板也由此戏称,我的学术访问级别已经到达了如此的高度……虽然是无心,还是很高兴能够避开五一的“新纳粹”游行。到慕尼黑的时候,已经是5月4号的早上5:30了。每一次都会慨叹德国人的办事效率,几乎在你到达机场的同时托运行李就会在传送带上等候。然而更加令人惊奇的是,可爱的Zvi童鞋早就在机场等候我们的到来。 见到友人总是异常的开心,七七八八的在地铁上就聊起工作,聊起未来。不知不觉就到了公寓的驻地,一个叫做Leuchtenberg的地方。我们住的是一个犹太人经营的公寓,家里很干净。听说善良的房东太太为了欢迎我们的到来,竟然又重新粉刷了墙壁,买了新的洗碗机。家里的设施也是一应俱全,关键是很多布置、陈设都能透出一丝温馨。公寓离地铁地铁车站很近,周围还有三四家超市——相比之下,异国他乡的五十平米比鸟不拉屎的深圳可是强多了!第一天的主要任务就是收拾东西、熟悉环境和倒时差。吃过晚饭(多亏带了方便面)竟然决定走到市中心的Marienpl去看看,然后我们也真的拿着地图一点一点的做到了。德国的商店一般都是8-20点开门(周日还休息),而大部分人在这个时候都要上班。所以很多人就会到晚上去橱窗前去做eye shopping——当然店家也很配合:不但橱窗都灯火通明,所有的商品也都明码标价。第二天的任务依然如此,不过多了Zvi同学带我们寻找各处便利设施,比如能买到中国米的亚洲超市。 第三天就基本上不敢瞎跑了。因为第一天到慕尼黑,Zvi就带来一个噩耗:我需要在7号给这边的学生做一次Seminar——虽然早在来德国之前就知道我有这样一项工作,但从来都没想着有这么快。整个一天都在抓心挠肝地想如何组织课堂,如果用通俗的语言表明观点。Seminar的题目是“History and Philosophy of Machines and Automata: Or How to Climb the Ladder of Social and Individual Evolution”。课程面向的是TUM工科院系的学生,旨在提高他们作为科学家和工程师的人文素养——毕竟他们才是最有可能改变未来的一批人。多亏Robin同学到清华来访时的讲习班,才让我产生了Seminar的灵感。演讲的题目我引用了莎士比亚最著名的一句话,“To be or not to be”来探讨技术与社会之间的关系。整个讲座分成四部分,首先是最通俗和朴素的控制论观点,即技术在社会的控制之下乃至失控的风险;然后是技术如何被社会所建构/形塑,即用社会的一端去解释技术的一端;进而是社会技术想象的观点,强调技术和社会秩序的共同生产和演化;最后是去反思上述进路中所谈到的社会究竟为何物,是否存在一个技术-社会关系意义上的社会(部分内容参见下图)。 PPT做到晚上一点多,第二天早上起来又马上一遍遍的温习,毕竟这是我第一次在外国著名大学的课堂上去做如此长时段的演讲。可以说是功夫不负有心人,presentation做了一个多小时,看同学们的反馈也算是比较成功——虽然选课的同学几乎都是清一色的第三世界国家。然后比较奇怪的是,他们对老师表达感谢的方式不是鼓掌而是敲桌子,不知道的话还真容易吓一跳~ 对于我的报告,这边的老师反映也不错,还邀请我把这个写成一篇文章放在他们的一本书里出版。刚刚又那种无债一身轻的感觉,小夹板马上又给套上了……不过能够得到外国大学的肯定,还是很高兴滴。为了表示庆祝,我俩还特地跑到了著名的OEZ购物中心shopping,不过也没买到啥。但是令人振奋的消息就是买东西可以退税哇,咔咔! 今天约了Zvi同学去郊游,自带食物去酒庄,哈哈~ 好好体验一下西方人的生活方式。下周就要正式上班了,还不知道会面临怎样的挑战。You tell me
Ive been in Wuhan for a week. Being a student again, especially the student of the mother school, makes me live a new life, the life I hanker after for around 3 years. Besides, I was keeping touching the unknown area of economics and gaining some new theories and methodologies for my further research. So I was always excited these days. I didnt waste even a quarter for study, just as what I did during the four years in Huazhong Agriculture University. There is no difference between three years ago and now. I have to cherish every minute and work hard in the university, for my future and for my life. One of my respectable teachers Mr. Cao said to me yesterday that a researcher for the science should think in a free and relaxing atmosphere, without any pressure or disturbing. Unfortunately, I still cant achieve this situation now. I guess maybe I cant make it all my life, for I have too much willingness in my mind and cannot be a such monomaniacal person, however, if I can make myself focus on the point I am interested in, I dont think it will harm my dream to be a successful economist. More investment normally expects more return. The cost of my study is more others, thus I need learn more in order to obtain at least the same average return. I make a learning plan which includes the lectures of WHU, HUST and ZU, not only the ones of HZAU. I hope to catch all the best lectures in these universities and make my study more effective. So I searched for the all the timescales of the lectures I wish to attend in all the four universities and listen to them one by one. I usually arrange the classes of one university in one day, so I dont need to get to two universities one day. A doctor in WHU called this study tour. According to the arrangement, I need to travel to other universities for three days a week. And I choose to ride the electronic bicycle rather than take the bus to save money. Sometimes it takes nearly an hour to get to a university and not all the roads are good for riding. Although the transition cost is higher, it will be worthy if the return is a wonderful lecture. And I will study with the normal students and take some notes. However, if you go for a lecture enthusiastically, and receive a message of canceling or postponing the lecture five minutes before the it start, you will be totally disappointed and just like a investor who have made a lost investment. To tell the truth, I have just experience the loss for four times today in WHU. Sep.19th, 2009