The internationally distinguished scholar Michael W. Apple was invited to deliver lectures in Beijing Normal University by the Faculty of Education in the past week. 

Michael W. Apple is the John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has been selected as one of the most important educational scholars in the 20th Century. His books Ideology and Curriculum and Official Knowledge are also selected as two of the most significant books on education in the 20th Century.

Professor Apple delivered his first lecture on Oct. 15^th with the topic of 'Can Education Change Society?'. This lecture outlines and develops the arguments that he made in his most recent bookCan Education Change Society?. He justifies that education can change society, and elaborates the relationship among ideology, power and education from the perspective of critical pedagogical research. In this book, Professor Apple emphasizes on the idea of “whose knowledge is the most valuable”, and analyzes the current crisis in conservative modernization, that is, neoliberalism, neoconservatism, authoritarian populism and new managerialism. He proposes that researchers and educators should be critical scholars and they should accomplish nine tasks.The lecture draws on critical analyses of dominant efforts to use schools to change society in neoliberal directions. This lecture was hosted by Professor ZhengXinrong and with the attendance of Professor Shi Zhongying, the Dean of the Faculty of Education（FOE）, and many other teachers. On the Oct.16^th, a follow-up seminar was held by Ms. Ye Juyan as the in-depth discussion of the previous lecture.

On Oct. 17^th, the second lecture from Professor Apple was held by Professor Zhu Zhiyong with the topic of “THE TASKS OF THE CRITICAL SCHOLAR”. What are the tasks of critical scholars during a period when neoliberal and neoconservative policies dominate the international educational landscape? This lecture stresses nine tasks that need to be accomplished. These tasks are：Describing reality critically; Showing spaces for action; Acting as secretaries; Keeping critical traditions alive (critically); Giving our expertise; Developing new skills; Helping to build critically democratic communities in one’s daily life; Practicing critical curriculum and teaching in our own teaching; Not living on “the balcony”,after the lecture, FOE presents a gift to Professor Apple.

The two lectures and a seminar from Professor Apple are inspiring and successfully, which were intensely and popularly attended by the teachers and students in BNU, and even some researchers and students from other universities.