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The Ministry of Education announced the list of the second batch of pilot universities for the "National Excellence Program"

In order to implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, further promote high-level universities to train high-quality teachers at the graduate level for primary and secondary schools, and lay a solid foundation for the cultivation of top-notch innovative talents, based on the experience of the first batch of pilot projects of the National Excellent Primary and Secondary School Teachers Training Program (hereinafter referred to as the "National Excellent Program"),The Ministry of Education issued the "Notice on Deepening the Implementation of the National Excellent Primary and Secondary School Teachers Training Program" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice").

The "Notice" announced the list of the second batch of pilot universities, including 11 "Double First-Class" universities such as Shandong University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and Capital Normal University, and two Hong Kong universities, the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Starting from 2024, the second batch of pilot universities will recruit students through recommendation or secondary selection of graduate students, with a focus on training high-quality science course teachers at the graduate level for primary and secondary schools.

The Notice requires provincial education administrative departments to actively support the postgraduate training of the "National Excellence Plan", and each province recommends no less than 5 high-quality primary and secondary schools in the province as "National Excellence Plan" education practice schools. Pilot universities are required to strengthen the overall leadership of the "National Excellence Plan", improve the recruitment and assessment process, and effectively select students who are willing to teach and are suitable for teaching. They are also required to build a distinctive curriculum system, strengthen the education of ideals and beliefs and the guidance of the spirit of educators, attach importance to the construction of courses related to artificial intelligence, interdisciplinary subjects, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education, and focus on the combination of education with science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine, and the combination of science and technology education with humanities education.

The Notice encourages pilot universities to integrate high-quality resources and promote the joint training of science course teachers between universities of science and engineering and high-level normal universities. It specifically encourages cross-school study and exchanges between mainland and Hong Kong "National Excellence Program" postgraduates, and focuses on supporting mainland "National Excellence Program" postgraduates to study teacher education courses in Hong Kong and conduct educational practice in Hong Kong. At the same time, it clarifies the specific requirements for cross-school joint training and dual postgraduate degree awarding.

The Notice emphasizes the need to open up channels for students to become teachers, and requires local governments to actively promote "National Excellence Program" graduates to teach in primary and secondary schools based on the primary and secondary school teacher qualifications they have obtained. Local governments are encouraged to explore the establishment of "order" training cooperation relationships between pilot universities and high-quality primary and secondary schools. Local governments are supported to attract "National Excellence Program" graduates to teach by refunding fees upon employment, and include them in the management of publicly funded normal school students.

Source: Ministry of Education, Xinhua News Agency

Editor: Zhang Ruiying