I'm preparing for the TOEFL iBT test, here is my essay. Your opinion will be appreciated and valued.
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A university is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which grants academic degrees in various subjects and provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education. And the duty ascribed to university professors includes both teaching undergraduate or graduate and conducting original research in their field of expertise. With the pressure of performance evaluation, professors often face the dilemma of whether to focus more on educating students or doing research. Personally, I attach more significance to the former, considering the main responsibility of a professor, the reputation of university and the benefit of education.
To begin with, the primary responsibility of a professor is to educate, which is also the original intention of establishing a university. Students make up most of the population in the university and they should be given primary concern since most universities position themselves as student-oriented. As for a professor, who works for university, he should follow the university motto and contribute to the educational cause. Therefore, the duty to teach should be put before conducting research.
Furthermore, professors devoting more to educating students will exert a positive impact on the university's reputation, thus attracting more excellent students. As a famous educator said, "The quality of a university is measured most by the kind of student it turns out." Students pay high tuition fees to pursue further education in university, and they are expecting the quality of university education is worth their investment. To exemplify what I mean, look at the statistics provided by a research which shows that university enrollment is highly correlated with the quality of education it provides rather than its research level. In addition, not all students plan to engage in research when they graduate, plenty of whom seek to acquire necessary knowledge and skills demanded for their ideal occupation in college education.
Last but not the least, education has its own lasting benefits which are irreplaceable. Some argue that research discoveries may lead to breakthroughs in certain fields and provide solutions to problems such as cancer treatment or energy crisis, thus it is more valuable than education. However, I contend that education in the long run will prove its value. On the one hand, students who receive high-quality education and special guidance from professors are likely to become future leaders in various industries, including researchers, which has profound influence on the whole society. On the other hand, professors may also benefit from their students when exchanging ideas and get inspiration for their research. The famous physicist Niels Bohr, also known as Nobel Prize winners had taught many students, some of whom later were awarded Nobel Prize as well, which made the University of Copenhagen a holy land for scholars.
In conclusion, I strongly support that university professors should spend more time educating students than doing research because as a primary responsibility of professors, it benefits not only the university for it is a plus to the reputation of university, but also the society for it cultivates talents to become future experts in all fields.
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A university is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which grants academic degrees in various subjects and provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education. And the duty ascribed to university professors includes both teaching undergraduate or graduate and conducting original research in their field of expertise. With the pressure of performance evaluation, professors often face the dilemma of whether to focus more on educating students or doing research. Personally, I attach more significance to the former, considering the main responsibility of a professor, the reputation of university and the benefit of education.
To begin with, the primary responsibility of a professor is to educate, which is also the original intention of establishing a university. Students make up most of the population in the university and they should be given primary concern since most universities position themselves as student-oriented. As for a professor, who works for university, he should follow the university motto and contribute to the educational cause. Therefore, the duty to teach should be put before conducting research.
Furthermore, professors devoting more to educating students will exert a positive impact on the university's reputation, thus attracting more excellent students. As a famous educator said, "The quality of a university is measured most by the kind of student it turns out." Students pay high tuition fees to pursue further education in university, and they are expecting the quality of university education is worth their investment. To exemplify what I mean, look at the statistics provided by a research which shows that university enrollment is highly correlated with the quality of education it provides rather than its research level. In addition, not all students plan to engage in research when they graduate, plenty of whom seek to acquire necessary knowledge and skills demanded for their ideal occupation in college education.
Last but not the least, education has its own lasting benefits which are irreplaceable. Some argue that research discoveries may lead to breakthroughs in certain fields and provide solutions to problems such as cancer treatment or energy crisis, thus it is more valuable than education. However, I contend that education in the long run will prove its value. On the one hand, students who receive high-quality education and special guidance from professors are likely to become future leaders in various industries, including researchers, which has profound influence on the whole society. On the other hand, professors may also benefit from their students when exchanging ideas and get inspiration for their research. The famous physicist Niels Bohr, also known as Nobel Prize winners had taught many students, some of whom later were awarded Nobel Prize as well, which made the University of Copenhagen a holy land for scholars.
In conclusion, I strongly support that university professors should spend more time educating students than doing research because as a primary responsibility of professors, it benefits not only the university for it is a plus to the reputation of university, but also the society for it cultivates talents to become future experts in all fields.
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