Classrooms in the caves: What an old university in Yan'an still teaches us

As someone who has spent years studying and witnessing China's development, I see a consistent pattern across different historical periods. China has repeatedly emphasized human capital as a foundation for national progress.

This is evident from revolutionary-era cadre training to today's investments in universities, scientific research, vocational education, and technological innovation. Education has remained central to the country's modernization strategy, even as its content and methods have evolved dramatically, while the underlying belief that people are the nation's greatest resource has endured.

This lesson also resonates beyond China.

As a Bangladeshi teacher and researcher, I naturally reflect on my country's development journey. Bangladesh has made significant progress in education over recent decades, but we continue to face challenges in improving educational quality, fostering innovation, and preparing young people for an increasingly competitive global economy.

For this reason, economic growth depends not only on infrastructure, investment, and industrial expansion but also on developing capable citizens who can lead institutions, embrace new technologies, and solve complex problems.

The former Anti-Japanese Red Army University offers a clear reminder that education should never be viewed as secondary, even in difficult times. On the contrary, moments of uncertainty make investment in education even more essential. When societies continue educating people despite hardship, they invest in hope and in the future they aspire to create.

Walking through the preserved cave classrooms and modest residences, I was reminded that meaningful education does not necessarily require modern facilities or abundant resources. It requires committed teachers, motivated students, a shared purpose, and confidence that knowledge can transform society. These principles remain as relevant today as they were 90 years ago.

This was also one of the deeper messages Edgar Snow conveyed in Red Star Over China. Beyond documenting military campaigns, Snow sought to understand the ideas, aspirations, and human qualities that shaped the revolutionary movement. In Zhidan, I was able to appreciate another dimension of that story — the conviction that education and national rejuvenation must advance together.

In today's era of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and unprecedented global interconnectedness, the world often measures progress through technological achievements or economic statistics. Yet my visit to the former Anti-Japanese Red Army University reminded me that the true foundation of sustainable development remains people: Educating them, nurturing responsible leadership, and cultivating purpose are investments whose value extends across generations.

The Red Army University proved that educational excellence does not require grand architecture. It requires an unyielding institutional soul aligned with the nation's destiny — and a belief that education can endure, guide, and renew society.

Mohammad Saiyedul Islam, PhD, is a senior lecturer and researcher in the School of Overseas Education (School of Foreign Languages) at Sanming University in China's Fujian province, and a senior research fellow at the Daffodil International University Belt and Road Research Centre in Bangladesh.