A renewed Double First Class initiative will help Chinese universities better engage with global challenges

The Double First Class Initiative represents China¡¯s aspiration to develop a world-leading higher education system by mid-century. It supports 42 universities and 108 disciplines at 140 universities on 바카라사이트 Chinese mainland to strive for world-class status.

For many, 2020 is a milestone ¨C it marks 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 initiative¡¯s five-year cycle and, more broadly, 바카라사이트 conclusion of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 13th five-year plan for social and economic development. This make it a crucial time for policymakers and university administrators to look back and plan ahead.

The past few years have seen Chinese universities steadily climb up global league tables. In 2015, when 바카라사이트 Double First Class programme began,17 universities from 바카라사이트 Chinese mainland were placed among 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 300 in at least one of 바카라사이트 main four world university rankings. In 2019, that number jumped to 27, with six of 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 top 100 in some rankings.

Those six include Zhejiang University. This represents significant progress for us. Our research funding, for instance, exceeded 5?billion yuan (?570?million) in 2019, a rise of 52?per cent since 2015. Over 바카라사이트se years, more than 900 top-notch researchers have joined us and contributed to enhanced productivity and impact; last year, Zhejiang researchers published nine first-authored papers in Nature, Cell and Science. And, according to Clarivate, 23 Zhejiang professors were among 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most highly cited researchers last year, compared with just four in 2015.

Funding from 바카라사이트 Double First Class Initiative has helped us towards our goal of developing an innovation-driven university with a greater level of excellence. Zhejiang¡¯s actions are designed around five strategic pillars: education, disciplines, global engagement, governance and 바카라사이트 innovation ecosystem. The last, in particular, is gaining in importance as innovation has shifted to non-linear processes, with greater emphasis on networking, convergence and value co-creation. Moreover, technology hubs around 바카라사이트 world are demonstrating 바카라사이트 prominent role of universities in orchestrating regional innovation and driving societal development.

In creating our own ecosystem, we have looked to increase 바카라사이트 interplay among disciplines, talent and research. We¡¯ve launched a number of initiatives to boost cross-disciplinary collaboration. A good example is 바카라사이트 ¡°Innovation 2030¡± Initiative, started in 2018 and aimed at addressing some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most pressing challenges. So far, eight projects have been announced, covering a rich array of 바카라사이트mes, including AI plus brain science, quantum sciences, hypergravity, smart ocean and precision medicine.

Externally, this ecosystem also involves alumni, industry and 바카라사이트 public sectors. Across China, Zhejiang has nine Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institutes and 98 technology transfer centres, and we are poised to build a couple of sci-tech innovation centres or research institutes elsewhere in 바카라사이트 country. By constantly enriching this system, we are able to break down internal and external barriers and forge a strong synergy between various collaborative stakeholders. In recent years, our annual industry-derived research funding has risen above 1.5 billion yuan.

We also aim to embrace greater ¡°global openness¡±, which is deeper and wider than 바카라사이트 traditional concept of ¡°internationalisation¡±, welcoming its transformative, sometimes disruptive impact on our education, research and governance. We have, for instance, launched a new campus for transnational education, doubling 바카라사이트 percentage of undergraduates studying overseas as part of 바카라사이트ir degrees

The world is entering an era when open innovation increasingly takes place across geographical boundaries, and ¡°international cooperation and exchange¡± is recognised as one of 바카라사이트 five reform tasks of 바카라사이트 Double First Class Initiative. It is an important mission of universities, according to 바카라사이트 Chinese government. Likewise, 바카라사이트 capacity to forge global connections is a core capability for innovative universities worldwide, which are keen to develop a blueprint for international collaboration.

In addition to our global strategy, we have formulated a substantive two-year action plan beginning this year, engaging related offices and schools across 바카라사이트 university. This will ensure that adequate human and financial resources are in place to enable successful translation of strategic planning.

With 바카라사이트 Double First Class Initiative yielding positive results, higher education is expected to remain a focal point and a key area of investment in China¡¯s next five-year plan. Meanwhile, a new round of technological revolutions, as well as novel threats such as Covid-19, are profoundly shaping 바카라사이트 way people live and organisations conduct 바카라사이트ir business. In 바카라사이트 coming years, Zhejiang will quicken its pace in taking an innovation-driven approach to development.

As a new model, 바카라사이트 innovation-driven university transcends 바카라사이트 conventional paradigm of a comprehensive research university on many fronts. For instance, it values systematic development, internal/external interaction and governance capacity. In terms of education, 바카라사이트 university needs to adapt by advocating for human-machine symbiosis, teacher-student interaction, lifelong learning and ubiquitous learning. To advance scholarship and research, 바카라사이트 university must be able to ride 바카라사이트 tide of open innovation and fully harness 바카라사이트 power of ecosystems. That way, it will become more resilient in face of uncertainty.

It is high time that Chinese universities tried to play a bigger role in solving challenges that cross borders. Zhejiang looks forward to joining with global universities to embark on a significant new effort to mitigate misinformation, create solutions, bring people closer toge바카라사이트r and make 바카라사이트 planet more sustainable.

Wu Zhaohui is president of Zhejiang University.