In 1988, he stayed on as a teacher and has been teaching ever since at Peking University, and his lectures are always packed with students. No matter their academic background, students are all willing to attend his lectures to hear his explanations of various complex history.
In 2007, the Ministry of Education honored 100 teachers of higher education, and he was listed first among those recognized.
In 2018, Peking University established the "Teaching Achievement Award", and he was the first teacher to receive this honor.
This time, the 70-year-old professor accepted a special invitation from the "Peking University Dishui Lake Lecture Hall (PKU-DSLLH)" and traveled 1,300 kilometers to give a lecture in Lin-gang.
On the evening of June 11, 2024, the eleventh lecture of PKU-DSLLH was successfully held. Professor Yan Buke, Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor of the Ministry of Education (China) and a Peking University Boya Chair Professor, was invited to deliver a special lecture titled From Chaju System (recommend prospective government officials based on their filial morality and honesty) to the Imperial Civil Examination System: A Glimpse into the Evolution of the Ancient Chinese Officials Selecting System (《从察举到科举——中国古代选官制进化一瞥》). The lecture took place in the art gallery on the 8th floor of the Harbour City Square Culture and Art Center, taking the audience on a journey to the exploration of the ancient officials selecting system of China.
During the lecture, Professor Yan Buke systematically explained the evolution of China's ancient officials selecting system from three topics: "Hereditary Bureaucrat and Fief of Noble Politics," "Selecting the Talented: The Han Dynasty's Chaju System," and "The Imperial Civil Examination System: Fair Competition." From the recommendation-based selection of the Chaju system to the merit-based competition of the imperial civil examination system, Professor Yan provided vivid descriptions and abundant historical data, painting a historical picture of the evolution of China's ancient officials selecting system.
During the Q&A session, Professor Yan engaged with the audience by addressing questions such as "How can we better learn from history"? and "What are the recent updates in historical research methods"? He shared the audience with his own research and practical experiences, leading to a lively and enthusiastic discussion.
After the lecture, Professor Yan took the time to sign books and interact warmly with the audience, readers, and "fans". He said, "This is a teacher's responsibility and an author's duty."
Gong Hongbing, member of the Party Working Committee of Lin-gang Special Area met with Professor Yan and presented him with a commemorative plaque as the eleventh lecturer of PKU-DSLLH. Nearly 200 people including The Department of Party-People Affaris, Lin-gang Special Area Administration (LSAA), Peking University Shanghai Lin-gang International Science and Technology Innovation Center (PKU-IICSH), as well as representatives from Peking University Alumni Association, and online registered participants attended the event. Nearly 3,000 people watched the lecture through live broadcasts on local new media channels such as PKU-IICSH's official Wechat video account, "Humanities of Dishui Lake" Tiktok account, and "Shopping and Having Fun at Dishui Lake" Wechat video account.
Before the lecture, Professor Yan Buke conducted an on-site inspection of PKU-IICSH, visited the Party-Mass Service Center, the PWA Instrumentation & Service Center for Biomedicine, and expressed his best wishes for the center's development.
Initiated with the support of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-gang Speacial Area Administration (hereinafter referred to as Lin-gang Special Area, or LSAA), Peking University Dishui Lake Lecture Hall (PKU-DSLLH) is a collaborative effort involving Peking University Intertional Innovational Center, Lin-gang Special Area, China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (PKU-IICSH), Peking University Office of Science and Technology Development, and Office of Humanities and Social Science, and enjoying an active participation from Peking University Press, Peking University Alumni Association, and other relevant offices and departments. Leveraging Peking University's profound academic foundation and expert resources in the humanities and social sciences, PKU-DSLLH focuses on key areas including economic development, humanities and arts, and social governance.
Since August 2023, PKU-DSLLH has been hosting monthly lectures featuring renowned professors or expert scholars from Peking University, who provide specialized lectures and engage in in-depth discussions with residents in Lin-gang. This initiative aims to facilitate the concentration of high-quality humanities and social science resources from Peking University in Lingang, effectively enhancing the cultural image and urban competitiveness of the Lin-gang Special Area.
