ZHANG Donggang: A Crucial Measure to Meet the Needs of Building a Leading Country in Education

This year’s Government Work Report has systematically outlined plans to “advance the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent cultivation”, and explicitly proposed the launch of a new round of the “Double World-Class project”. This has charted the course and provided the fundamental guidance for our efforts in promoting educational endeavors.

The new round of “Double World-Class project” serves as a key lever for responding to the needs of building a leading country in education, addressing the challenges posed by technological transformation, and meeting the nation’s expectations for strategic talent cultivation. It is a strategic, benchmark, and leading project that steers overall development and leverages the future. If the “plateau” reflects the scale and accumulated strength of university governance and development, then the “peaks” embody the leadership and excellence of world-class universities. The new round of development we seek to advance aims precisely to build academic peaks upon this plateau, achieving a qualitative transformation from large to strong and from following to leading. Therefore, it must be planned, positioned, and advanced within the broader framework of the integrated and coordinated development of education, science and technology, and talent, so as to provide a continuous and powerful driving force for Chinese modernization. The key lies in grasping the “newness” across four dimensions.

The novelty of the new round of construction lies first and foremost in strategic positioning. This new phase is by no means a simple expansion of disciplinary scale; rather, it seeks to realize an integrated transformation of education, science and technology, and talent development. We must remain closely aligned with the nation’s major strategic priorities and focus on the needs of emerging industries, promoting the mutually reinforcing interaction of the “three forms of self-reliance”: the development of indigenous knowledge systems, independent scientific and technological innovation, and autonomous talent cultivation. Expansion should be targeted where it matters most, while reductions should be made where redundancy exists, ensuring that wherever national strategic needs arise, disciplinary development follows and provides effective support.

The novelty of the new round of construction is emphasized in the reshaping of standards. The first-class status of world-class disciplines is reflected not only in internationally comparable indicators, but also in their effectiveness in addressing China’s challenges and contributing to human civilization. We must promote a shift in evaluation systems from “following” to “leading”, accelerate the establishment of an assessment framework oriented toward innovation value, capability, and contribution, and demonstrate a distinctly Chinese vision while enhancing our global academic voice in the pursuit of building new academic peaks.

The novelty of the new round of construction lies in integrated symbiosis. In the digital age, the humanities and social sciences are not in decline but undergoing transformation. The cultivation and growth of new quality productive forces depend not only on breakthroughs in basic research but also on the support of interdisciplinary collaboration. We must vigorously promote interdisciplinary integration, build a coordinated education system that combines humanities and technological education, enabling traditional disciplines to “grow new branches” and interdisciplinary fields to “bear fruit”.

The novelty of the new round of construction is fundamentally rooted in fostering virtue through education. Ultimately, the new phase of disciplinary development must be grounded in enhancing our capacity to cultivate top innovative talents independently. We must remain people-centered, understand the thinking and aspirations of the younger generation, and empower the all-round development of individuals through disciplinary development. In this way, students can experience the power of truth through the unity of knowledge and action, and young people of the new era can be guided to become active leaders rather than passive adapters, growing into a new generation capable of shouldering the historic mission of national rejuvenation.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we will step forward with a strong sense of responsibility, promoting high-level substantive advancement and high-quality development in tandem. By taking the lead in the new round of “Double World-Class project” development, we aim to drive the integrated advancement of education, science and technology, and talent, building a solid strategic foundation for Chinese modernization.

Original article link:

https://app.gmdaily.cn/as/opened/n/8b6f5b10f1cc45a88ed0a76ddef01a15

Translator: ZHANG Yuqing
Web Editor: ZHANG Jingjing; ZHANG Yuqing