Promoting High-Standard Opening Up of Education

At the National Conference on Education, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed the importance of deepening the opening up of education, balancing "bringing in" and "going global," and continuously enhancing China's international influence, competitiveness, and voice in education.

Promoting the high-standard opening up of education is an inevitable requirement for accelerating the construction of a leading country in education. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed at the National Conference on Education the importance of deepening the opening up of education, balancing “bringing in” and “going global”, and continuously enhancing China’s international influence, competitiveness, and voice in education. International academic exchanges and cooperation on education and scientific research should be expanded, and China should actively participate in global education governance, to contribute more to the development of global education. The General Secretary's important remarks provide clear direction and fundamental guidance for us to continuously refine our strategies and policies for opening up of education and to steadfastly expand opening up of education.

It’s imperative to effectively balance the two major tasks of “bringing in” and “going global”, High-standard opening up of education is an important way to promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations, and it is also an inevitable choice for building a strong educational system, greater scientific and technological strength, and a quality workforce. To balance strategically the two major tasks of “bringing in” and “going global”, it’s important to make good use of the world’s first-class educational resources and innovative elements, making China a significant global education centre with strong influence. As key bases for talent cultivation, higher education institutions should fully leverage their leading role in building a leading country in education by engaging in high-level international exchanges and cooperation, grasping the development of the global frontiers of science and technology, exploring the latest scientific and technological advancements, and nurture world-class top innovators at home. In terms of “bringing in”, we should target the global frontiers of science and technology, and regions with educational advantages, connecting them with domestic areas of weakness, gap, intersection, and those of high demand. With regard to “going global”, we should promote the dissemination of China’s educational philosophies and models to the world and continuously enhance China’s international influence in education.

It’s imperative to expand international academic exchanges and cooperation on education and scientific research. Participating in international academic exchanges and cooperation on education and scientific research helps the teachers and students of China understand the educational philosophies and teaching methods of different countries and regions, broadening their horizons and cultivating more well-rounded talent with native land emotion and national identity, global perspective, and professional skills. This will contribute to better presenting China to the world and facilitating China's engagement with the global community. In advancing the process of high-standard opening up of education, we should focus on building a high-level multi-faceted cooperation mechanism that encourages China’s universities and research institutions to engage in practical and effective international educational exchanges and collaborations. We must implement international scientific and technological cooperation initiatives, actively integrate into the global innovation network, and prioritise talent resource development to make the best use of global talent. The application of artificial intelligence in education and STEM education have become the focus in the international education community in recent years. We should leverage China's advantageous resources in these fields to promote the further presence of the relevant academic achievements and practical experiences to the world.

It’s imperative to actively participate in global education governance. China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in its education development, establishing the world's largest education system. Collaboration with international educational organisations is an important pathway for China to engage in global education governance. We should further deepen our partnerships with significant international organisations such as UNESCO and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Higher education institutions with the capability should have the courage to move closer to the centre stage of international education, strengthening exchanges and cooperation with international organisations and educational institutions in various countries and regions. They should actively participate in and promote the research and formulation of international education policies, rules, and standards. We must make good use of the “Belt and Road” platform to actively engage in bilateral and multilateral global and regional educational cooperation, promoting the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity to gain broader support worldwide and take root.

Building a leading country in education is a foundational project for advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernisation. It’s an important step toward achieving the strategic goal of becoming a leading country in education to further promote high-standard opening up of education and contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global education governance. Under the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and the guiding principles of the National Conference on Education, China is to make new breakthroughs in its high-standard opening up of education, thereby writing a new chapter in the construction of a leading country in education.

Source: China Education Daily, 19 September 2024