Reported by: Ji Xuan
Translated by: Qiao Xuechao
Edited by: D. Parker
Time: 2017/9/25
Beijing, Sep. 21 (Xinhua)- The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly released a selected list of universities and colleges, which will participate in the country’s construction plan of world-class universities and first-class disciplines (Double First-Class Initiative). HIT is on the list of Double First-Class Type A Universities. Moreover, Mechanics, Material Science and Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, Control Science and Engineering, Computer Science and Technology and Mechanical Engineering were selected as the first-class construction disciplines.
HIT has received national support over the years. In 1951, HIT was designated as one of the two universities to learn from the Soviet Union’s Higher Institution-running model. In 1954, HIT was on the list of “first national key construction six universities.” It was the only university chosen from outside of Beijing. In 1984, HIT was listed as one of the 15 national major investment universities. In 1996, HIT first entered the list of “Project 211” (the project of building 100 or so key higher educational institutions and a number of key disciplines for the 21st century). In 1999, HIT was identified as one of the nine universities to develop as world-famous high-level universities.
“Double First-Class Initiative” is the short name of China’s construction plan for world-class universities and first-class disciplines. Its aims are to promote Chinese higher education’s comprehensive strength and international competitiveness and to provide solid support for the “Two Centenary Goals” and “The Chinese Dream.” On October 24, 2015, the State Council issued The Overall Plan of Integrating World-Class Universities and First-Class Disciplines Construction (the Overall Plan). This requires that under the guidance of the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy and the policies made by the Party Central Committee and the State Council, all should adhere to the center of Chinese characteristics and world-class, a foundation for strengthening moral education and cultivating citizens, the orientation of supporting innovative-oriented development strategies and serving the economic development of society. The basic principle of “taking world-class as an objective, discipline as basic, performance as leverage, reform as impetus.” This will assist in constructing world-class universities and first-class disciplines.
In January 2017, approved by the State Council, The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly released The Provisional Implementation Measures of Integrating World-Class Universities and First-Class Disciplines Construction (Implementation Measures); “Double First-Class” stepped into the stage of implementation. In accordance with the Overall Plan and the Implementation Measures, and adhering to the principle of seeking improvement in stability, inheriting and innovating, reforming and developing, the list of universities is generated by competitive selection, expert evaluation, government assessment and periodic screening. It is promoting development in an incremental manner and stimulating the construction of vitality.
