Phoenix TV:

We noticed that among the 2023 national science and technology awards announced last month, around two-thirds of the three major awards were issued to projects led by higher education institutions. Additionally, the two recipients of the top sci-tech awards, academicians Li Deren and Xue Qikun, both work at universities. Looking ahead, how do you plan to boost the sci-tech innovation capabilities of universities and colleges and independently cultivate high-caliber talent through deeper reforms, thereby better supporting major national strategies? Thank you.

Mo Gaoyi:

Mr. Huai, please answer this one. 

Huai Jinpeng:

I appreciate your attention to and recognition of sci-tech innovation at higher education institutions. As we know, universities are where educational resources, science and technology and talent come together. They lead in basic research and foster major sci-tech breakthroughs. I believe universities are among the most valuable assets of a country. In recent years, universities have played an important role in China's innovation system. For example, in the fields of quantum technology, life sciences, material science, and space science, we have achieved many major original innovations. Looking ahead, we will optimize the structure of higher education and encourage universities to enhance talent cultivation, sci-tech innovation, and social services by setting clear targets and making well-organized arrangements. We will strengthen institutional innovation and sci-tech innovation as driving forces, with the aim of providing strong support for rapidly developing world-class hubs for talent and innovation.

First, we will advance university reforms across various categories. Socioeconomic development requires different types of universities and talent. Therefore, we need some universities to develop strengths on all fronts while others excel in a single field. We will clarify the development targets of different types of universities, establish a mechanism for category-based management and appraisal, guide various types of universities to develop and exert advantages in different fields and competitions, and encourage them to pursue excellence and demonstrate uniqueness. We will step up efforts to foster world-class universities and strong disciplines with Chinese characteristics. We will launch an initiative to develop first-class disciplines by leveraging advantages to achieve breakthroughs, establishing a batch of model disciplines, and improving discipline development capabilities through the completion of major tasks.

Second, we will intensify our efforts to cultivate innovation capabilities. Innovative education nurtures innovative talent, and innovative talent builds an innovative nation. We will focus on the requirements of major national strategies and the latest sci-tech developments, adjust the setup of disciplines at higher education institutions in a dynamic manner, optimize talent cultivation approaches, and map out new disciplines and majors to address urgent needs. We will thoroughly implement the national strategic initiative to foster top-notch talent in basic disciplines. We will intensify our focus on developing new disciplines of engineering, medical sciences, agricultural sciences, and liberal arts. We will create first-class core curricula, textbooks, hands-on projects and faculties, allowing sci-tech education to reinforce liberal arts education and vice versa. When students' humanistic qualities improve, their innovative thinking in sci-tech will also be taken to the next level. Thus, we will be able to create a system to cultivate high-quality, top-tier innovative talent on our own.

Third, we will improve higher education institutions' sci-tech innovation mechanisms. We will implement plans to make breakthroughs in basic disciplines and interdisciplinary subjects, improve the organization of basic research, drive the integration of science and technology with education through major tasks, and guide the interaction and integration of different disciplines, with the aim to produce more original and disruptive sci-tech innovations. Specifically, we will enhance the cultivation of young sci-tech talent. Through long-term, stable support and long-term appraisal, we will guide and support dedicated and highly innovative young university teachers to make advanced scientific explorations and blaze trails in new frontier areas. We will strengthen the application of universities' sci-tech achievements by building regional technology transfer and transformation centers on campuses, speeding up the planning and development of advanced research institutes, promoting cooperation between universities and enterprises, supporting universities in realizing high-level sci-tech achievements, and enhancing the transformation of these achievements. The efforts will continuously boost the development of new quality productive forces.

That's all I'll say for now. Thank you!