On April 9, 2016, the first high-level forum in Jiangsu Province for public English teaching for graduate students and the Fourth Mock International Conference for graduate students was held at Southeast University. Deans and principals as well as teachers from departments of public English teaching participated in the forum. Professor Gu Feirong and Associate Professor Zhu Yun from the College of Foreign Studies at Nanjing Agricultural University were present by invitation, discussing the experience and problems of reforming graduate public English in our school, and advancing strategies that aroused great interest and praise from the participants.

In first stage of the forum, Chairman of the College Foreign Language Teaching Research Association of Jiangsu Province, Mr. Li Xiaoxiang, Professor Zhao Xueqin from the College of Foreign Studies in Nanjing University of Science and Technology, and others made keynote speeches on graduate public English teaching, concepts and models innovation, the present situation and problems with corresponding strategies, and the theme of teaching reform practice. In the second stage, participants were divided into two teams and discussed topics including: construction of teaching programs and textbooks of graduate public English, teaching model innovation, curriculum teaching team building, combining with school-based specialties, as well as teaching resources. In the third stage, participants watched the speech finals of the Mock International Conference by graduate students in Southeast University.

The basic consensus at the forum was that graduate public English teaching should conform to graduates’ current English levels and needs of learning and working, especially the need of building first-class, high-level universities. There was an emphasis on the formulation of public English teaching programs which aim to train high-quality talent, textbook compilation, curriculum provision, and reform and innovation of teaching models. As can be seen from the results and experience of each unit’s graduate public English teaching reform, impressive schools who work successfully in this area all have had leaders attaching great importance to it and vigorously supporting the reform of graduate public English. Party and government leaders in College of Foreign Studies can work together, support, lead, and participate in reform, as well as the practice of graduate public English teaching.

Nanjing Agricultural University started the reform of public English teaching programs and curriculum provision, as well as textbook compilation in 2004, much earlier than other universities in Jiangsu Province. The development scheme of the graduate public English system cannot be put into effect until it is approved by the school academic committee. So far, the reforms have gone through three rounds and have formed a mature curriculum group. Leaders in the College of Foreign Studies have consistently supported the reform and have called on outstanding teachers in our college to offer practical English courses, in order to make graduate public English teaching in our top-ranking agricultural university better. At present, we need to further advance the reform of the graduate public English teaching model, extending the learning space and time from the classroom to outside the classroom. In this regard, Southeast University and Nanjing University of Science and Technology have been one step ahead, which stimulated us in this forum.