Dunhuang archaeological preparation position "zero application", how to break?

article|Sun Dai

Recently, the topic of "How to solve the Dunhuang Research Institute recruitment dilemma" rushed to the hot search. According to Zhang Xiaogang, director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Dunhuang Academy, there were only five or six people applying for a position in the archaeology career, and none of them took the test in the end. Since then, many interviewees of mentioned in interviews with the media that the remote geographical location of Dunhuang , strict recruitment and job requirements, lower salary and other factors have discouraged many candidates.

Some respondents clearly stated that "the money is not enough, and the way to rise is not clear". Therefore, although the posts of the Institute of Archaeology of the Dunhuang Academy are increasing year by year, few people are interested. Cao Bin, associate professor of the Department of Archaeology and Museology at the School of History, Renmin University of China, publicly stated that talents are the foundation of any industry's development, and archaeology is no exception. To improve the quantity and quality of talents in archaeology, we must first focus on the cultivation of talents. Associate Professor Cao Bin also expressed the hope that employers can lower the "undergraduate threshold".

Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi.


In recent years, the popularity of archaeology and cultural blogging has increased, and "Dunhuang" and "Sanxingdui" have become new Internet celebrity IPs. In such a large environment, no one is interested in archaeological preparation positions. The predicament faced by the Institute of Archaeology of the Research Institute reflects the current situation of the shortage of cultural conservation talents in my country. The vacancies of the Dunhuang archaeological compilation positions and the shortage of talents are the problems that need to be solved urgently at present.

It is understood that the recruitment requirements must be "double first-class" or master graduate students of eight major academies of fine arts, under the age of 35. In fact, archaeological research and cultural relic protection have always been majors with high thresholds, and have certain requirements for cultural literacy, while Dunhuang Studies is mainly based on Dunhuang Posthumous Notes, Dunhuang Grotto Art, Dunhuang Historic Sites and Dunhuang Theory, etc. The object determines that practitioners must have the corresponding professional foundation.

Zhang Xiaoyang (first from the left) and his colleagues are conducting field archaeology (screenshot from the documentary "Master Dunhuang") In 2020, Hunan girl Zhong Fangrong was admitted to Peking University with a score of 676. She chose to major in archaeology "outrageously", which once again reflected the real problem of "difficulty in recruiting students" in colleges and universities. Compared with other popular disciplines in colleges and universities, in the eyes of many people, problems such as difficult internships, difficult employment environment, and specific orientation have become obstacles to college students choosing archaeology majors to some extent.

From the geographical point of view, Dunhuang is located in the northwest and is remote. Compared with many big cities, there is a gap in economic development. After graduating from colleges, it is understandable that young people who choose the best among the best are more eager to develop in big cities. 's remote geographical location, difficult working environment, high recruitment threshold, and low salaries, all kinds of factors make professional talents discouraged from the "iron rice bowl" of archaeological compilation.

Zhong Fangrong (left) completes the student apartment accommodation card in the dormitory building.


In May this year, the "Implementation Measures for the Free Targeted Training of Cultural Relics and General Subjects Talents" jointly issued by the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics and other five departments was released. In the next five years, Shanxi Province will pass the college entrance examination for targeted training in 117 counties (cities, districts) in the province. 600 cultural relics general subjects. Some research institute staff believe that this "order-based" talent training model is worth learning from. At the same time, we must also see that wants to break the situation that the archaeological system is cold and the talents are broken, and it is the key to identify the reasons behind it. Why are talents reluctant to come? Can you stay here? These issues still need to be clarified by the relevant local authorities.

With the development of economy and society and the improvement of cultural level, Chinese archaeology is standing at a new starting point and is opening an era of discipline development. The needs of archaeological development in the new era put forward higher requirements for the training of archaeological talents. find pain points,To implement precise policies, before talking about persistence and dedication, you might as well do your homework first and take into account the practical needs of professionals.

needs scarce talents, not only to talk about ideals and aspirations, but also to talk about actual treatment. A good development environment can make archaeological feelings not a burden, and can make the actual treatment dilute the hardships of the environment. If it is not possible to lower the educational threshold, it is necessary to give a certain degree of improvement in treatment, so that the effort is proportional to the actual return. Provide suitable development space, complete living facilities, and salary packages that match the position. Taking multiple measures together can better solve the difficult problem of archaeological recruitment.


Text: Sun Dai

Photos: Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics official website, Surging News, Jimu News, Dunhuang Research Institute official website