上海同济大学日前宣布取消全校专业技术职位的长期聘任协议，转而实行周期性聘期考核制度[1]。根据新规，预聘职位人员每3年接受考核，长聘职位人员每6年接受考核，并在每3年进行中期考核[1]。这一改革打破了"有编制等于永久职位"的传统做法，将周期考核机制从年轻教师扩大到资深教授和长聘教授[1]。
该举措引发学术界广泛质疑。美国耶鲁大学法学院教授张泰苏指出："有原创性的研究很少能在持续被考核状态下出现"[1]。学者们担忧这种政策会阻碍创新研究的开展。同济大学推行此项改革的背景在于，传统工科行业急剧收缩，导致院校经费紧张，学校面临严峻的财政压力[1]。
Tongji University in Shanghai has announced a significant shift in its employment structure for professional technical positions, replacing long-term appointment agreements with periodic contractual evaluations [1]. Under the new system, staff in pre-tenure positions face reassessment every three years, while those in tenured roles undergo similar reviews every six years, with additional mid-cycle evaluations every three years [1].
The reform extends the cyclical evaluation mechanism across all faculty levels, from junior academics to senior and tenured professors, effectively eliminating the traditional guarantee that permanent positions equate to lifelong employment [1]. Yale Law School professor Zhang Taisusan argued that "truly original research rarely emerges under conditions of continuous evaluation" [1], highlighting concerns that the policy may undermine intellectual freedom necessary for groundbreaking work.
The reform reflects mounting institutional pressures facing Tongji and similar universities. Traditional engineering sectors have experienced sharp contraction, leaving institutions with strained finances and reduced budgets [1]. Critics contend this approach prioritizes short-term cost management over long-term research excellence [1].