Zhong Binglin was a key figure in the development of China's education sector. During his tenure as the Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, President of Beijing Normal University, and Chairman of the China Education Association, he steadfastly supported the development of non-governmental education. He warmly cared for and supported the development of non-governmental schools, made significant contributions to theoretical research in non-governmental education, and played a crucial role in guiding the practice of non-governmental education.
Zhong Binglin: A Pioneer in Chinese Education Reform
Zhong Binglin, born in July 1951 in Beijing, is a prominent figure in the field of education in China. He is a member of the Communist Party of China and currently holds the position of Honorary Dean and Professor at the Higher Education Research Institute of Beijing Normal University.
After graduating from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Nanjing Institute of Technology (now Southeast University) in 1977, Zhong remained at the university as a faculty member. In 1990, he was selected as a senior visiting scholar by the Chinese government and pursued further studies in the United Kingdom. He obtained his doctoral degree from the University of Wales in 1994. Upon his return to China, he served as Vice President of Southeast University before assuming the position of Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education (formerly the State Education Commission) in 1996. From 2001 to 2012, he served as the President of Beijing Normal University, and from 2012 to 2019, he held the position of President of the Chinese Society of Education. Additionally, he served as a member of the 11th and 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and as a member of its Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sports from 2008 to 2018.
Zhong Binglin's research primarily focuses on education policy and higher education. He has led numerous significant research projects funded by the Ministry of Education and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, including studies on the reform and evaluation of the college entrance examination system, population dynamics and the allocation of educational resources, and the theoretical and practical issues in educational resource allocation in China. He has authored over 200 academic papers and published eight monographs. His teaching and research achievements have been recognized with awards at both national and provincial levels.
As a trailblazer in education reform, Zhong Binglin advocates for systemic changes in educational governance, emphasizing the importance of institutional reforms, particularly in management systems. He believes that curriculum reform is central to educational innovation, with a focus on curriculum content and structure. Furthermore, he emphasizes the significance of ideological shifts in guiding educational reforms and development.
During his tenure as Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, Zhong actively promoted and participated in various educational reforms, including teaching and administrative system reforms, reforms in the degree system, examination and enrollment system reforms, and quality assurance mechanism reforms.
As President of Beijing Normal University, Zhong spearheaded reforms in disciplinary structure, program offerings, and talent development systems. Under his leadership, the university underwent a transformation into a comprehensive, research-oriented institution with a focus on teacher education, educational science, and fundamental disciplines in arts and sciences, aspiring to be a world-class university.
