Education, science, and talent are the fundamental and strategic pillars for building a socialist modernized country comprehensively. This year's government work report proposed, "Adhere to the integrated promotion of building a strong country in education, science and technology, and talent, deepen comprehensive reforms in education, science and technology, and talent, and provide strong impetus for modernization construction." In response, Bao Xinhao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), said, "Universities are the key intersection of science and technology as the primary productive force, talent as the primary resource, and innovation as the primary driving force. They play an irreplaceable and unique role in serving the country's drive for innovation-driven development. We must adhere to the integration and concerted efforts of education, science, and talent to inject strong momentum into China's style of modernization."
"Universities are the main battlefield for talent cultivation. We must fully implement the Party's education policy, implement the fundamental task of moral education, regard high-quality development as the vitality of higher education, adhere to running universities rooted in the Chinese land, inherit and promote the spirit of educators, and accelerate the construction of world-class universities with Chinese characteristics as a long-term goal," said Bao Xinhao.
"Quantum technology is the hallmark of USTC," Bao Xinhao introduced. After years of dedicated research, the university has made a series of world-renowned achievements in quantum communication, quantum computing, quantum precision measurement, and other fields, producing many representative results such as the "Nine Chapters" quantum computing prototype, reaching the peak of world quantum technology.
"A high-level research-oriented university must strengthen basic research in accordance with the requirements of developing new productive forces, promote collaborative research on key core technologies, strengthen research on disruptive and frontier technologies, strive to achieve more major original achievements from '0 to 1,' and consolidate the foundation of technological self-reliance through independent innovation," Bao Xinhao believes. Technological innovation should rely on large-scale facilities and platforms, adhere to both goal orientation and free exploration, actively promote strategic-oriented systematic basic research, exploratory basic research with frontier orientation, and market-oriented applied basic research, and create a source of original innovation.
Talent is the primary resource, and ultimately, scientific and technological innovation relies on high-level talents. "High-level research-oriented universities should give full play to the role of leading force in basic research talent cultivation, focus on the urgent needs of talent cultivation in basic disciplines and key areas, create a cutting-edge innovative talent cultivation model, and strive to cultivate more first-class scientific and technological leaders and innovation teams," Bao Xinhao introduced. "In the cultivation of young scientific and technological talents, we should encourage them to take the lead and play a leading role in major national strategic tasks, stimulate the innovation vitality of young talents, and provide them with sufficient 'sky for trial flights.'"
"We will take the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important instructions as a guide, adhere to the integrated promotion of education, science, and talent, strengthen the responsibility of the national strategic science and technology force, cultivate source vitality with high-quality education, stimulate dynamic energy with high-level scientific and technological innovation, and create development advantages with high-quality talents, to contribute to the acceleration of building a strong country in education, science, and talent," Bao Xinhao said.
(Original title: Leading Force in Basic Research Talent Cultivation—Interview with Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of the University of Science and Technology of China, Bao Xinhao)
