On June 24th, the National Science and Technology Conference, the National Science and Technology Awards Conference, and the Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering were held in Beijing. General Secretary Xi Jinping presented awards to the winners of the highest national science and technology award and delivered an important speech emphasizing that the prosperity of science and technology leads to the prosperity of the nation, and the strength of science and technology leads to the strength of the country. Chinese path to modernization depends on the modernization of science and technology, and high-quality development depends on scientific and technological innovation to cultivate new momentum. We must fully recognize the strategic leading position and fundamental supporting role of technology, anchor the strategic goal of building a strong technological country by 2035, strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and accelerate the realization of high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement. General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly summarized the important experience of the development of science and technology in the new era, and eloquently discussed the important role of scientific and technological innovation in promoting Chinese style modernization and achieving the great process of the second centenary goal. He has systematically clarified the basic connotation and main tasks of accelerating the construction of a strong science and technology country under the new situation, pointing out the direction of progress and providing fundamental guidance for doing a good job in science and technology work in the new era.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee has vigorously promoted the implementation of the innovation driven development strategy, put forward the strategic task of accelerating the construction of an innovative country, continuously deepened the reform of the scientific and technological system, and effectively promoted the self-reliance and self-improvement of science and technology. From a batch of major original achievements in basic frontier research, to new leaps in strategic high-tech fields, to new achievements in innovation driven high-quality development, China's science and technology has made historic achievements and undergone historic changes. The important role of scientific and technological innovation in promoting Chinese path to modernization and achieving the second century goal has been fully demonstrated.

Universities are the main force of basic research and the source of major technological breakthroughs. They are an important component of the national strategic scientific and technological strength and innovation system, and have made significant contributions to promoting historic achievements and changes in China's scientific and technological undertakings. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, the vast number of universities have adhered to serving the country as the highest pursuit of scientific and technological work, adhered to the "four orientations", served the "greater good of the country", continuously advanced towards the breadth and depth of science and technology, rapidly improved the scientific and technological innovation capabilities of universities, and achieved significant results one after another. The reform of institutional mechanisms continues to advance in depth. In the field of basic research, universities aim at the forefront of world science and technology, dare to challenge the most cutting-edge scientific problems, are willing to sit on the cold bench, are brave enough to be the ones who plant trees and dig wells, and promote significant breakthroughs in forward-looking basic research and leading original achievements. They are truly the main force of basic research. In the field of key core technologies, hundreds of universities adhere to a problem oriented approach, heading towards the most urgent and pressing issues, breaking through a number of bottleneck problems in key core technologies, effectively supporting the implementation of a series of major national projects and the casting of a large number of major national weapons, becoming the source of major scientific and technological breakthroughs in the country. Actively promoting economic and social development, universities have made significant contributions to service, and have written excellent answers to science and technology for the country with outstanding innovation, truly writing papers on the land of our motherland.

To accelerate the construction of a technological powerhouse and contribute educational resources, it is necessary to fully recognize the strategic leading position and fundamental supporting role of science and technology, anchor the strategic goal of building a technological powerhouse by 2035, and strengthen top-level design and overall planning. Currently, the world is undergoing unprecedented changes that are accelerating, with a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation deepening, profoundly reshaping the global order and development pattern. Technological innovation has become a decisive factor affecting economic prosperity and national security, and is the high ground of international competition. Science and technology have never had such a profound impact on the future and destiny of a country, and have never had such a profound impact on the happiness and health of its people. China's science and technology industry has achieved historic achievements and undergone historic changes, but there are also some shortcomings and weaknesses. This requires further strengthening of the sense of urgency, increasing the intensity of scientific and technological innovation, and seizing the high ground of scientific and technological competition and future development. We must fully adhere to the leadership of the Party, give full play to the advantages of the new national system, improve the system of centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over scientific and technological work, build a collaborative and efficient decision-making and command system and organizational implementation system, accelerate the transformation of scientific research paradigms and organizational models, and lead and promote new changes in scientific and technological innovation work; We must deeply grasp the laws of scientific and technological innovation, comprehensively deepen the reform of the scientific and technological system and mechanism, coordinate the construction of various innovation platforms, strengthen the optimization of innovation resource allocation, accelerate the formation of a more efficient innovation system, remove obstacles and barriers that restrict scientific research and innovation, continuously create a good environment and soil, and let the seeds of innovation continuously emerge from the soil; We need to deepen the integrated reform of the education technology talent system and mechanism, improve the collaborative education mechanism between science and education, and accelerate the cultivation of a large-scale, structurally reasonable, and high-quality innovative talent team.

To accelerate the construction of a technological powerhouse and contribute educational strength, it is necessary to accurately grasp the new situation and tasks faced by universities in scientific and technological innovation, and fully demonstrate the mission and responsibility of universities as national strategic scientific and technological forces. Universities are the convergence points of education, technology, and talent, gathering a large number of top scientists, academic backbones, and dynamic young teachers and students. They have numerous disciplines that blend with each other and first-class scientific research and innovation platforms. They are the main force of basic research and the source of major technological breakthroughs, and the key force to achieve high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement. Further increase the intensity of scientific and technological innovation, seize the high ground of scientific and technological competition and future development, fully demonstrate the mission and responsibility as a national strategic scientific and technological force, universities should accurately grasp the new situation faced by scientific and technological innovation, fully leverage their own advantages, integrate their own development into the historical mission and responsibility of building strategic scientific and technological forces and promoting scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, and take serving the country and benefiting the people as the value orientation and highest pursuit of scientific and technological work in universities; To aim at the forefront of world technology and major national strategic needs, promote scientific research and innovation, continuously improve the original innovation level in basic research fields, and enhance the ability to solve key core scientific problems and "bottleneck" problems; We need to establish a sound system and mechanism for the deep integration of innovative talent cultivation and high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement, strengthen the construction of the national strategic talent team, continuously gather and cultivate high-level innovative talents, vigorously promote the spirit of scientists, and inspire the vast number of scientific researchers to have lofty aspirations, love their country, and dedicate themselves to innovation.

To accelerate the construction of a strong technological country and contribute educational strength, it is necessary to adhere to and continuously enrich the important experience of the development of science and technology in the new era, and continue to write a new glory of universities' strong support for high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that in the practice of the development of science and technology in the new era, we have continuously deepened our understanding of the regularity and accumulated many important experiences. The main ones are: adhering to the comprehensive leadership of the Party, adhering to the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics, adhering to innovation leading development, adhering to the strategic orientation of "four orientations", adhering to deepening reform to stimulate innovation vitality, promoting a virtuous cycle of education, science and technology talents, cultivating innovative culture, and promoting science and technology openness and cooperation for the benefit of humanity. These important experiences are rooted in the rich practices and great achievements of the development of science and technology in the new era. The education system, especially the vast number of universities, should deeply understand and comprehensively implement it, adhere to the comprehensive leadership of the Party, have a broad vision of the country, be good at planning the Party's major plans, adhere to the "four orientations", adhere to innovation leadership, take scientific and technological innovation as the core issue to promote the development of universities and improve the quality of talent cultivation, and further provide strategic support for achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement.

On the new journey, the mission of achieving high-level technological self-reliance and building a strong country in science and technology is glorious and the responsibility is significant. There are only 11 years left until the goal of building a technological powerhouse is achieved. Time waits for no one, seize the day.  

Source | China Education Daily, June 26, 2024