In this year's government work report, the emphasis on "improving the discovery and cultivation mechanism for top-notch innovative talents" reflects a continuous effort to enhance the environment for talent development, aiming for a scenario where talents are fully utilized and their abilities are maximized. To delve deeper into this topic, a journalist interviewed Academician Zhang Pingwen, President of Wuhan University.
"As universities are crucial hubs for scientific advancement, human resource development, and innovation, cultivating top-notch innovative talents stands as a core mission for top-tier universities," stated Academician Zhang.
Academician Zhang elaborated that globally, there is significant emphasis on cultivating top-level innovative talent. Drawing from international experiences, the cultivation of high-level talents requires a multifaceted approach, including top-tier mentors, promising research directions, high-quality student intake, conducive academic environments, ample resource allocation, and robust international exchanges.
In recent years, China has actively explored new pathways for cultivating top-notch innovative talents. Initiatives such as the "High School Student Elite Program" and the "Basic Strength Plan" have optimized recruitment and training processes, fostering innovative models such as continuous education from high school to university, mentor-led talent cultivation, and strengthening general education through college systems.
Highlighting Wuhan University's endeavors, Academician Zhang mentioned the release of the "Wuhan University Action Plan for Cultivating Top-notch Innovative Talents." Aligned with national strategic demands, the university has continuously deepened reforms in talent cultivation mechanisms, fostering an autonomous path for cultivating top-notch innovative talents. Through exploration at the national, institutional, and departmental levels, Wuhan University has pioneered the establishment of a talent cultivation system in fields like data intelligence, enhancing the integration of science and education. Many top-notch innovative talents have contributed to fields such as polar exploration, Beidou positioning, and food security.
However, Academician Zhang noted that despite China's aspirations to become a leading force in education, science, and talent, there still exists a gap, both in quantity and quality, in cultivating top-notch innovative talents. The nurturing environment and mechanisms have room for improvement. There are misconceptions in society regarding top-notch innovative talents, deficiencies in early identification and selection mechanisms, and inadequacies in educational models.
"To foster high-level talent, it's crucial to create a conducive environment and atmosphere," Academician Zhang emphasized. To achieve this, he proposed:
Promoting a Scientific Educational Philosophy: Government and educational authorities should enhance public awareness and foster a scientific talent cultivation philosophy, guiding parents to have reasonable expectations and collectively creating a conducive environment for the healthy and happy growth of top-notch innovative talents.
Exploring Diverse Selection Channels: Manage and utilize academic competitions and other selection methods effectively, further standardizing the utilization of competition results. Moreover, empower "Double First-Class" universities with greater autonomy and enhance the selection and identification of top-notch innovative talents in fundamental disciplines. Wuhan University is actively exploring the "Junior-to-Senior Integration" model, offering university preparatory courses in key high schools based on advantageous subjects, facilitating effective transitions in identifying and cultivating top-notch innovative talents.
Optimizing Training Systems: Provide more choices for students with top-notch innovative potential. The growth of top-notch innovative talents requires teaching methods that inspire and encourage exploration. Universities should grant students more autonomy in choosing majors, optimize transfer mechanisms, and enable students to study subjects they are passionate about and suited for. Strengthening the connection between undergraduate and graduate studies and promoting course integration allows students with extra capacity to engage in independent study and rapid development. Creating an environment conducive to teacher development and prioritizing the development of interdisciplinary subjects are vital for enhancing discipline construction and talent cultivation quality. In recent years, Wuhan University has vigorously promoted "large-category enrollment and training," continuously optimizing policies related to major transfers and exploring mechanisms for integrating undergraduate and graduate education, creating a favorable environment for the growth of top-notch innovative talents.
Academician Zhang emphasized that Wuhan University remains steadfast in its commitment to cultivating top-notch innovative talents within the context of China's modernization drive. In 2024, the university has designated the theme as the "Year of Talent Development," aiming to accelerate the construction and perfection of a world-class, Chinese-characteristic, and Wuhan University-style system for cultivating top-notch innovative talents, comprehensively improving the quality of autonomous talent cultivation.
(Original title: Nurturing Talent and Innovating Training Models—Interview with Academician Zhang Pingwen, President of Wuhan University)
