China News Service, Beijing, March 10th: How can higher education in central and western China “rise”? Academicians and scholars offer suggestions
Author Wu Yili Li Yusu
Regardless of the number of universities, full-time teachers, or number of students, higher education in the central and western regions already accounts for "half of China's higher education." However, shortcomings such as human resources, financial investment, and technological innovation restrict its further development.
During this year's National Two Sessions, many academicians and experts offered suggestions on how to "rise" the strength of higher education in the central and western regions.
Respect talents, cherish talents, love talents
If you are not from Henan, why come to Henan?
People often ask this question to Li Peng, deputy to the National People’s Congress, president of Zhengzhou University, and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In June 2022, she was appointed as the president of Zhengzhou University.
She told reporters that in more than a year of work, she has truly felt that Henan has formed a "climate" of "respecting, cherishing and loving talents". At the same time, she also noticed that higher education in the central and western regions is not fully developed and faces the "drainage of talents". The dilemma of "not coming" and "not staying".
On March 7, Li Peng, deputy to the National People's Congress, president of Zhengzhou University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, answered reporters' questions at the open group meeting of the Henan delegation at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress.
Photo by reporter Jiang Qiming
"Restricted by location factors, it is difficult to fundamentally change the external objective conditions in the short term. Only through the 'strong incentives' of special policies can we quickly optimize the talent introduction and education work environment and break the talent dilemma." Li Peng said.
When it comes to talent training, Li Peng suggested increasing the proportion of undergraduates being recommended and exempted, increasing the enrollment quota for doctoral students, expanding the scale of training to support regional economic and social development, and increasing support for the selection of academicians and other talents in universities jointly established by the ministry and province.
Huang Xiaojuan, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice president of Guangxi University for Nationalities, also feels the same way.
"The western region needs special methods, such as allowing working people to apply for doctoral degrees with equivalent academic qualifications as graduate degrees, so as to increase the proportion of high-level talents in the population as soon as possible," she said.
Increase capital investment
This year’s government work report mentions strengthening the strength of colleges and universities in the central and western regions.
Chen Aixue, a representative of the National People's Congress and dean of the School of Economics at Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, is very excited about this.
In Chen Aixue’s view, the central and western regions are vast, and the development status of higher education in different places is different.
She suggested that educational resources should be appropriately tilted towards weak areas such as Inner Mongolia, expand effective investment in the education field, focus on improving the conditions for running colleges and universities, and create good conditions for the balanced development of higher education at different levels.
In particular, we will increase support for high-level talent training colleges and universities to adapt their school-running characteristics to the trend of regional economic development.
Yao Dezhong, a representative of the National People's Congress and a professor at the School of Life Sciences and Technology of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, suggested "establishing a National Western Talent Fund" to improve the educational level of the western region through financial support; at the same time, increase scientific research projects, innovation platforms, and Funding efforts for talent programs.
Build a high-quality platform
Many academicians believe that creating a good talent ecosystem is inseparable from "building a nest to attract phoenixes", one of which is to build a high-quality platform.
Zhang Weihong, deputy to the National People's Congress, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and vice president of Northwestern Polytechnical University, proposed that universities in the western region should accelerate the layout and construction of national key laboratories around the advantages of space materials science and equipment lightweight, gather research teams, and undertake major national projects. Focus on cultivating high-level talents.
Li Peng also suggested increasing support for the establishment of national key laboratories and other national platforms around local characteristics and advantageous industries by universities jointly built by the ministry and provinces, and arranging a number of liberal arts bases (laboratories) in universities jointly built by the ministries and provinces.
"Strive to cultivate outstanding engineering and technical talents who can adapt to and lead the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation." said You Zheng, a representative of the National People's Congress, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the president of Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, as a strong engineering school in central China, You Zheng emphasized that it will "put the cultivation of outstanding engineers in a more prominent position."
Last year, the school established the National College of Excellent Engineers. While revitalizing higher education in central China, it began a comprehensive and in-depth reform of training outstanding engineers.
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