Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng reported today to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on progress in developing top-tier universities and advantageous academic disciplines with Chinese characteristics as part of the “Double First-Class” Initiative. His report highlighted the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission in implementing the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. These organs have cooperated and coordinated with relevant departments, seeking feedback from NPC deputies and CPPCC members and providing guidance and support for local higher education institutions (HEIs) in advancing the initiative. Over the past eight years, significant achievements have been made in positioning Chinese HEIs as leaders in global education.
Huai outlined the major actions taken to implement the Initiative. First, a comprehensive plan was conceived and fine-tuned, targeting universities and disciplines involved in the “Double First-Class” Initiative across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Second, several initiatives were carried out in key areas to enhance development of academic disciplines and improve top-level talent cultivation, such as the Program for Strengthening Basic Academic Disciplines and the “101 Plan”,while various national high-level talent training bases and centers for mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology were established. Third, innovative mechanisms were introduced, with the establishment of a regular monitoring system, comprehensive multidimensional performance evaluations, and a high-quality management evaluation model. Fourth, an enhanced multilateral investment scheme was put in place to ensure sustainable sources of funding, entailing central government guidance, local support, funds raised by HEIs, and societal contributions.
（MINISTRY OF EDUCATION THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA）
Huai noted that many HEIs and academic disciplines involved in the Initiative now rank among global leaders, better meeting people’s expectations for quality higher education and increasing the competitiveness of Chinese higher education as well as its international influence.
In terms of achievements, Huai Jinpeng pointed out that the capacity of Chinese HEIs to cultivate talent independently has significantly increased. Since 2016, over 50% of master’s degrees and 80% of doctoral degrees nationwide have been awarded by the universities involved in the Initiative. The HEIs have significantly reinforced their self-reliance in scientific and technological research, while also achieving excellent progress in philosophy and social sciences.
According to Huai, the MOE will continue to implement policies and instructions of the central government, the National Education Conference, and the National Science and Technology Conference. In the future, greater efforts will be made to independently design sound standards for the “Double First-Class” Initiative, strengthening talent development, supporting world-class sci-tech research, and reforming systems for international collaboration and resource management. These efforts will help promote the implementation of the “Double First-Class” Initiative and increase the international impact of Chinese higher education.
