2024·12·30
2024 Education Reflections
Talent is the foundation of a strong nation, the basis of competition, the key to transformation, and the source of vitality. A large number of talented individuals is essential for achieving great undertakings; as talent rises, the nation's fortunes flourish. In today's world, the competition for comprehensive national strength ultimately comes down to the competition for talent.
What is talent? How should it be defined? What kind of talent do we need? How should it be cultivated?
“China's only mechanism to break the Western monopoly is to promote a large number of capable children (talents).”
“Top innovative talents must first have a strong sense of national identity.”
“Researchers must first solve the problem of having a bench, rather than worrying about ‘the coldness of the bench’.”
“Talent cultivation has its own laws. Just like selecting seeds, first, you need to have ‘seeds’ to choose from.”
“The young people we cultivate must have a sense of national identity, international vision, global competitiveness, and even a sense of global responsibility, because in the future, we will have to jointly face global challenges.”
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In 2024, China Education Online interviewed over 70 academicians, university presidents, scholars, and experts. They came from different schools and fields, sharing insights on education, science and technology, and talent, offering valuable intellectual wealth and practical exploration for our nation-building in talent and education.
As we bid farewell to 2024, here are 10 voices from the guests on talent cultivation.
Qiu Chengdong
President of Tsinghua University's Qiuzhen College, internationally renowned mathematician
Qiu Chengdong: To be honest, the only mechanism that can break the Western monopoly is to promote a large number of capable children (talents), allowing them to walk their own paths. Without talent, China is finished.
We find that some 13- or 14-year-old children can excel, and in our summer camp, we even have an 11-year-old who is very capable. This indicates that we can cultivate a large number of young children with great abilities and talents in a good environment, and this is a very important first step.
The second step is to provide them with a good developmental environment. The most important part of this environment is the teaching staff. The training of talent worldwide always relies on high-quality teachers, and I believe China must achieve this. In Qiuzhen College, we have hired a group of world-class scholars. Not only are their academic achievements world-class, but their approach to research, character, and reputation are also highly valued. Talent cultivation requires masters and excellent teaching staff.
Third, let these students quickly accumulate experience. After achieving results, they can collaborate with teachers in a research environment and have a good setting to showcase their strengths.
China’s neglect of young children is a major flaw. Outstanding young people in China must be carefully nurtured, no matter how good the seed is; if thrown onto a stone, it may grow but not thrive. Only when placed in fertile soil with nutrients can it grow into something great.
Sun Youhong
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, President of China University of Geosciences (Beijing)
Sun Youhong: What is top innovative talent? What characteristics or qualities should they possess? I believe that top innovative talent must first have a strong sense of national identity, critical thinking, creativity, international vision, and international competitiveness. They should also master basic disciplinary theories and scientific knowledge, have the ability to conduct scientific research, teach, and solve major national strategic problems, ultimately forming a harmonious development of moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor capabilities. This is my understanding of top innovative talent.
To summarize, top innovative talents should have three qualities: First, they must have deep expertise, with profound technical theory and broad professional knowledge. Second, they should possess high quality, not just in the ordinary sense, but with international vision and the ability to engage in international exchanges and cooperation. Third, they must be strong in ability, specifically in innovation and practical capabilities. [Click to view full interview]
Yuan Liang
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, President of Anhui University of Science and Technology
Yuan Liang: Local high-level universities with distinctive characteristics must follow the model of integrating industry and education, as well as science and education, to cultivate talents. After years of exploration, Anhui University of Science and Technology has seen its talents welcomed by relevant industries and enterprises.
"The integration of industry and education, as well as science and education," is not just a slogan. The real challenge is how to achieve integration. After much thought and practice, we have explored the idea of strengthening deep cooperation with enterprises. Therefore, much of my work time is spent in strategic exchanges and cooperation with enterprises. The first aspect is to jointly cultivate talent; the second is to collaborate on scientific research and innovation, jointly applying for national industry projects, and using these projects as opportunities to cultivate talent; the third is to jointly apply for and hold intellectual property with enterprises. After several years, this approach has yielded excellent results.
This is one of our key highlights: the talents we cultivate are in demand. Continuously, I am told by many corporate chairpersons why graduates of Anhui University of Science and Technology enjoy the same待遇 as those from 'Double First Class' universities. Not only are they skilled, but they also possess strong organizational skills, discipline, and innovation capabilities. This is due to the integration of basic courses and professional foundational courses with deep industry cooperation, which has transformed the traditional talent cultivation model.
Tan Jianrong
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor of Zhejiang University, Expert in Mechanical Engineering
Tan Jianrong: I believe the current issue is not about sitting on a cold or hot bench, but about whether there is a bench at all. Nowadays, everyone is implementing a "last place elimination" policy. If someone has been sitting on a cold bench for three to five years without achieving results, they will be reassigned, and the bench will be taken away. Currently, most researchers are faced with the issue of having no bench at all, rather than whether it's hot or cold. Many young teachers feel anxious, as their primary concern is survival, followed by development. Therefore, the first step is to provide them with a quiet bench, then encourage them to sit on a cold one. I believe this is the key.
In addition, everyone should develop according to their own situation, and be practical and realistic based on the characteristics of their institution, region, and discipline. There is no single model for the development of excellent talent; a unified model would lead to rigidity and dogmatism. Each person should choose their research direction according to their strengths and interests. The essence is to let researchers truly enjoy research. Cultivating interest is key. The same applies to students; we need to cultivate their interest in their field or research direction. Once they are interested, they will naturally delve deeper. Therefore, the goal of talent cultivation is to make them passionate about their profession.
Yan Chunhua
Vice President of the Chinese Society of Higher Education, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Former President of Lanzhou University
Yan Chunhua: Talent cultivation has its own laws, much like selecting seeds. First, you need to have seeds to choose from, then you must have land to plant them, and this land needs the right temperature, humidity, microorganisms, and nutrients—there must be a diversified supply system. The “soil” or “land” itself needs to be cultivated and nurtured.
The process of seed growth, including which land to plant what, also requires attention. For example, why does the potato in Dingxi, Gansu grow so well? It is closely related to the soil structure, nutrients, climate, and altitude of the area. These conditions are similar to the conditions for cultivating talent. Therefore, I believe that this process cannot be rushed, but it also cannot be delayed. Talent cultivation has its laws, which are unbreakable, but we can accelerate the process.
Song Yonghua
Vice President of the Chinese Society of Higher Education, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK), President of the University of Macau
Song Yonghua: Globalization and internationalization are, you could say, in the DNA of the University of Macau. The development orientation of the university is very clear: "based in Macau, co-building the Greater Bay Area, integrating into the country, and reaching out to the world." The management and educational philosophy we adopt are all in line with international standards. The most essential aspect of internationalization is that it benefits talent cultivation, young people's growth, and the ability to engage in collaborative scientific exploration and innovation to solve common problems faced by humanity.
The young people we cultivate need to not only have a sense of national pride but also possess international vision, global competitiveness, and even a sense of global responsibility, because we will face global challenges together in the future.
Ren Youqun
Party Secretary of Shandong University
Ren Youqun: The core of selecting and cultivating top innovative talents is to follow the path of high-level technological self-reliance and self-strengthening. The key lies in improving the cultivation mechanism for top innovative talents and ensuring a continuous emergence of such talents.
This requires us to first focus on top-level planning. We must strengthen forward-thinking and overall planning for cultivating top talents in basic disciplines, pay attention to personalized educational plans and early-stage research guidance, and explore exceptional, long-duration, and interconnected talent selection mechanisms. Second, we need to broaden multiple selection channels, explore integrated reforms for "downward linking + upward connection" in recruitment, and establish a dynamic selection mechanism that covers the entire process and chain. Third, we need to strengthen the faculty team and make use of the exemplary role of "masters" to institutionalize the participation of top scholars in the cultivation of innovative talents, forming a positive interaction between high-level faculty and exceptional students. Fourth, we must create a favorable environment for nurturing talent, focusing on implementing the fundamental task of moral education and inspiring students' academic interests, enhancing their ability to integrate knowledge and solve problems, and shaping them into new talents with national pride, a sense of responsibility, practical character, and innovative spirit. Fifth, we need to deepen comprehensive educational reform, uphold the idea of integrated development in education, science, and talent, and promote profound changes in the education system, increase investment, and use digital technologies to optimize the allocation of resources to improve the efficiency of cultivating top innovative talents.
Ma Luting
Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the Academic Development Advisory Committee of the Chinese Society of Higher Education
Ma Luting: The proposal to layout the cultivation of top-tier innovative talents at all levels and the establishment of special zones for urgently needed talents is due to the continuous development of the times. New industries are emerging, along with various new tracks and the need for developing new types of productive forces. Our talent layout needs to adapt to these requirements and improve accordingly.
Additionally, with the expansion of higher education, not every graduate student possesses innovation capabilities, and certainly not everyone focuses on innovation.
Currently, there is an urgent need for a large number of top-tier innovative talents. Also, in some emerging special fields, there is a demand for a batch of urgently needed talents. This is part of the overall layout made from the macro perspective by the state, and universities must keep pace with this layout. However, on the other hand, the training of talents has its cyclical nature. We must both keep up with the layout while adhering to established regulations, which must also be taken into account. The academic system that encourages innovative vitality is the underlying support.
Qu Lingbo
Chairman of the Local University Education Research Branch of the Chinese Higher Education Association
Qu Lingbo: For local universities, always serving national strategies and local economic development is an important strategic point. It is also a crucial part of our national higher education system. Therefore, local universities should always adhere to the idea of building a high-quality higher education system, starting from the actual situation of each school. Based on their respective positions, history, and service targets, they should do every task well in the high-quality development of higher education, fostering various outstanding talents for the construction of a strong nation and the high-quality development of the country.
The most significant characteristic of local universities is that they are rooted in the local area and closely connected to local development. Therefore, the talents we cultivate should also be based on the needs of local economic and social development. For local universities, the goal is to cultivate high-quality talents who can "stay, be employed, and remain useful for the long term," and truly serve as a strategic talent support for local development.
Xu Jianling
President of Shenzhen Polytechnic
Xu Jianling: The transition from a "Vocational and Technical College" to a "Vocational and Technical University" appears to be an upgrade in the level of the institution. In essence, it represents a substantial upgrade in the talent cultivation positioning, service for industrial development, and service for the vocational education sector’s mission. In terms of talent cultivation positioning, vocational bachelor's degrees focus on high-end industries and the high-end of industries, aiming to train high-skilled talents who can solve complex problems in the front-line of industries and have the potential to become skilled workers and great national craftsmen.
The essence of vocational bachelor's education is vocational training, which focuses on the needs of professions and aims to train high-skilled talents for higher vocational education. Thus, vocational bachelor’s education is based on the demand of professions or job clusters, follows the logic of the work system, and is categorized according to industry classification and industrial chains, focusing on transforming the world based on actual needs.
This article is reproduced from [中国教育在线]
