CityU actively responds to MSAR Government’s promotional session on Master Plan on Building China into a Leading Country in Education to drive development
To better understand and thoroughly implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important speech at the National Education Conference last September, the recently released Master Plan on Building China into a Leading Country in Education (2024-2035) (Master Plan) has charted the course for the country’s education development in the next decade. The Macao SAR Government recently invited Vice Minister of Education Wu Yan to deliver a keynote speech at the promotional session. The speech, titled “Building China into a Leading Country in Education, Shaping a Pioneer Force for Chinese-style Modernization: Insights from Studying the Master Plan on Building China into a Leading Country in Education (2024-2035)”, aimed to help Macao’s various sectors gain a full understanding of the profound significance of the Master Plan. O Lam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, gave the opening remarks, and Kong Chi Meng, Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), moderated the promotional session. The session saw active participation from 30 CityU leaders, including CityU’s Chancellor and Council Chairman Chan Meng Kam, Vice Council Chairman Kong Fanqing, Rector Liu Jun, Vice Rectors Zhou Wanlei, Han Wei, and Ip Kuai Peng, Council Members Cintia Chan and Chan Ham Si, Pro-Rectors Wicky So Kam Hung, Robert Chan, and Vince Chu Te Lin, and deans and department heads. Together they engaged in a comprehensive learning experience with the core content and spiritual essence of the Master Plan.
At the session, Vice Minister Wu Yan gave a comprehensive explanation of the foundation, goals, and tasks of building China into a leading country in education. Taking Macao’s unique position as an example, he emphasized that Macao’s education makes up a vital strategic part of building the nation into an education powerhouse, and praised the distinctive advantages of Macao’s higher education and its leading position in basic education globally. He pointed out that China’s education sector has made significant achievements in building the world’s largest education system. The accessibility of education has made historic leaps, the quality of higher education has been continuously improved, and it has provided strong support for the country’s economic and social development. Moreover, China’s educational influence on the world stage is steadily increasing. He also mentioned that the Master Plan is the first national action plan to focus on building an education powerhouse that serves the broader goal of Chinese-style modernization. The Plan sets the ambitious goal of establishing an education powerhouse by 2035, creating an important global education hub and achieving education modernization. To realize this vision, Vice Minister Wu analyzed the fundamental paths to building an education powerhouse, including developing eight key systems, explaining six characteristics and three attributes, and implementing five key tasks. He also outlined six crucial measures to achieve the education powerhouse goal.
Vice Minister Wu expressed the hope that Macao would take advantage of its unique geographical location to deepen educational exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese mainland and further integrate into the development of an international innovation and technology hub in the Greater Bay Area. He emphasized, “When Macao thrives, the nation thrives; when the nation thrives, Macao thrives even more! Macao’s development contributes to the development of the Chinese mainland, and the growth of Macao’s education sector is a key part of China’s overall educational development. Let’s work together to strengthen both Macao’s and China’s education sectors!”
The promotional session was well received by CityU. The release of the Master Plan has provided a clear direction for the university’s future growth and will serve as a critical reference in the university’s development plans and exploration of distinctive educational pathways. The attendees, including university leaders and faculty heads, observed that the session provided a deeper understanding of the Master Plan. Looking ahead, they will incorporate the essence of the Plan into the university’s work, using the goal of building an education powerhouse as an opportunity to continually enhance CityU’s education quality and research innovation capabilities. This will contribute to the development of education in Macao and the broader national goal of building an education powerhouse. It is believed that, under the guidance of the Master Plan, CityU will continue to push forward educational reform and innovation, create a brighter future, lay a solid foundation for cultivating outstanding talents who meet the needs of the new era, and actively contribute to the prosperity of the nation and the advancement of the “One Country, Two Systems” framework in Macao.
