The Foundational and Strategic Pillars of Chinese-Path Modernization

Education, science and technology, and talent are the foundational and strategic pillars of Chinese-path modernization. This is an important assertion put forward in the Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC[1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), held in July 2024, adopted the Decision on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization.. This assertion indicates that in building a modern socialist country in all respects, education is the foundation, science and technology are the key, and talent is the root; scientific and technological innovation depends on talent, and talent cultivation depends on education; advancing the development of education, science and technology, and talent as an integrated whole is the critical path for advancing Chinese-path modernization.

教育、科技、人才是中国式现代化的基础性、战略性支撑，是党的二十届三中全会《决定》提出的一个重要论断。这个论断表明全面建设社会主义现代化国家，教育是基础、科技是关键、人才是根本，科技创新靠人才、人才培养靠教育，一体推进教育科技人才事业发展是推进中国式现代化的关键路径。

Education is the strategic pillar of Chinese-path modernization.

教育是中国式现代化的战略支撑

Education is the main force driving the progress of human civilization. The modernization process of human society has always been closely linked to the development of education and the modernization of education. In China today, the modernization of education is both an important component of Chinese-path modernization and an important driving force for it. No other undertaking affects or even determines the issue of successors, affects or even determines the long-term stability of the country, and affects or even determines national rejuvenation and national rise as profoundly as education does. Building a strong nation in education is the pioneering task and solid foundation for realizing the comprehensive advancement of building a strong nation and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has insisted on treating education as a great plan for the country and a great plan for the Party[2]2 “A great plan for the country and a great plan for the Party” is a common phrase emphasizing the utmost importance of education for the nation and the CPC., adhered to giving priority to education development, made major decisions to accelerate the modernization of education and build a strong nation in education, strengthened the Party’s overall leadership over education work, continuously promoted the reform of the education system and mechanisms, and achieved historic accomplishments and transformative changes in education. China has built the largest education system in the world, and the overall level of education modernization has entered the ranks of upper-middle-income countries, providing strong strength for advancing Chinese-path modernization.

教育是推动人类文明进步的主要力量。人类社会现代化进程始终与教育的发展和教育的现代化紧密联系在一起。当今中国，教育现代化既是中国式现代化的重要内容，又是中国式现代化的重要动力。没有哪一项事业像教育这样影响甚至决定着接班人问题，影响甚至决定着国家长治久安，影响甚至决定着民族复兴和国家崛起。建设教育强国，是实现以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的先导任务和坚实基础。新时代以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚持把教育作为国之大计、党之大计，坚持教育优先发展，作出加快教育现代化、建设教育强国的重大决策，加强党对教育工作的全面领导，不断推进教育体制机制改革，教育事业取得历史性成就、发生格局性变化。我国已建成世界上规模最大的教育体系，教育现代化发展总体水平跨入世界中上国家行列，为推进中国式现代化提供了强大力量。

Building a strong nation in education by 2035 is the overarching goal for education reform and development in the current and future period. China’s education has made remarkable achievements, but the leap from a large education country to a strong education country still requires arduous efforts, and it is necessary to further deepen comprehensive education reform. According to the requirements of the Decision, deepening comprehensive education reform must focus on the fundamental task of fostering virtue and nurturing people[3]3 “Fostering virtue and nurturing people” is the fundamental task of education in China, stressing moral cultivation and talent development., revolve around cultivating socialist builders and successors who are developed comprehensively in morality, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor, and unswervingly follow the path of socialist education development with Chinese characteristics. Accelerate the building of a high-quality education system, comprehensively advance reforms in educational methods, school-running models, management systems, and guarantee mechanisms, promote educational equity, and improve education quality. Focus on improving the quality of self-development of talent, optimize the layout of higher education, accelerate the building of world-class universities and advantageous disciplines with Chinese characteristics, establish a discipline-setting adjustment mechanism and talent cultivation model driven by the needs of scientific and technological development and national strategy, promptly deploy urgently needed disciplines and specialties, implement the Strengthening Basic Disciplines Plan[4]4 The Strengthening Basic Disciplines Plan (Qiangji Jihua) is a national program launched in 2020 to strengthen basic disciplines such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry in higher education. and the Top-Notch Undergraduate Training Program for Basic Disciplines[5]5 The Top-Notch Undergraduate Training Program for Basic Disciplines is a Chinese government initiative to cultivate top-tier innovative talent in the basic sciences., continuously advance the reform of education and training for outstanding engineers, and cultivate strategic talents and urgently needed talents for the nation in a targeted manner. Rationally arrange the levels, types, and patterns of education according to national development needs, use selection mechanisms well, and meet the needs of all fronts and fields of the country for various types of talent. Adhere to effectively utilizing world-class educational resources and innovation elements, and promote high-level openness in education.

到2035年建成教育强国，是当前和今后一个时期教育改革发展的总目标。我国教育事业取得举世瞩目成就，但实现从教育大国向教育强国的跨越依然任重道远，必须进一步深化教育综合改革。按照《决定》要求，深化教育综合改革要聚焦立德树人根本任务，围绕培养德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人，坚定不移走中国特色社会主义教育发展道路。加快建设高质量教育体系，统筹推进育人方式、办学模式、管理体制、保障机制改革，促进教育公平、提高教育质量。聚焦提高人才自主培养质量，优化高等教育布局，加快建设中国特色、世界一流的大学和优势学科，建立科技发展、国家战略需求牵引的学科设置调整机制和人才培养模式，超常布局急需学科专业，实施“强基计划”和基础学科拔尖人才培养计划，持续推进卓越工程师教育培养改革，有的放矢培养国家战略人才和急需紧缺人才。根据国家发展需要合理布局教育层次、类型、格局，用好选拔机制，满足国家各条战线、各个领域对各类人才的需要。坚持有效利用世界一流教育资源和创新要素，推进高水平教育开放。

The modernization of science and technology is the key to Chinese-path modernization.

科技现代化是中国式现代化的关键

Scientific and technological progress is the primary driving force for the modernization of human society, profoundly changing the pattern of world development. In the 18th century, major inventions such as the steam engine emerged, realizing the first industrial revolution, opening the process of human society’s modernization, and achieving the transition from traditional agricultural society to industrial society. In the 19th century, science and technology advanced by leaps and bounds, giving rise to the second industrial revolution from mechanization to electrification, promoting the expansion of industrialization and urbanization to higher levels and broader fields. Since the end of the 20th century, driven by the invention and widespread application of electronic computers and the internet, economic and social development has undergone a profound transformation toward informatization and digitalization. Both history and reality show that every technological innovation is accompanied by a great leap in the level of social productive forces, and scientific and technological innovation has become a key factor determining the rise and fall of nations, as well as a key variable affecting and changing the world economic landscape. Whoever can occupy the high ground of science and technology will be able to take the lead in modernization development. At present, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is deepening, and global scientific and technological innovation has entered an unprecedented period of dense activity. The technological revolution and major-power competition are intertwined, and the high-tech field has become the forefront and main battlefield of international competition, profoundly reshaping the global order and development pattern.

科技进步是推动人类社会现代化的首要动力，深刻改变着世界发展格局。18世纪出现了蒸汽机等重大发明，成就了第一次工业革命，开启了人类社会现代化历程，实现了从传统农业社会向工业社会的转变。19世纪科学技术突飞猛进，催生了由机械化转向电气化的第二次工业革命，推动工业化、城镇化向更高层次、更广领域拓展。20世纪末以来以电子计算机、互联网等的发明和广泛应用为动力，推动经济社会发展向信息化、数字化深刻转型。历史和现实都表明，每一次科技革新都伴随着社会生产力水平的巨大跨越，科学技术创新成为决定国家兴衰的关键因素，也是影响和改变世界经济版图的关键变量。谁能够占领科技制高点，谁就能在现代化发展中走在前列。当前，新一轮科技革命和产业变革深入发展，全球科技创新进入前所未有的密集活跃期。科技革命与大国博弈相互交织，高技术领域成为国际竞争最前沿和主战场，深刻重塑着全球秩序和发展格局。

Chinese-path modernization must rely on the modernization of science and technology for support, and high-quality development must rely on scientific and technological innovation to cultivate new momentum. Since the New Era, China has deeply promoted the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy, put forward the strategic task of accelerating the building of an innovative country, set the strategic goal of becoming a strong nation in science and technology by 2035, continuously deepened the reform of the science and technology system, fully stimulated the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of scientific and technological personnel, effectively promoted high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, basic research and original innovation have been continuously strengthened, some key core technologies have achieved breakthroughs, and major innovation achievements have emerged in abundance. China has entered the ranks of innovative countries. At the same time, there are still shortcomings and weaknesses such as relatively weak original innovation capability in science and technology, some key core technologies being controlled by others, and insufficient top-tier scientific and technological talent. It is necessary to further deepen the reform of the science and technology system, further increase the intensity of scientific and technological innovation, and seize the high ground of scientific and technological competition and future development. Anchor the strategic goal of building a strong nation in science and technology by 2035, adhere to the Four Orientations[6]6 The Four Orientations refer to the strategic directions for scientific and technological innovation: fronting world scientific frontiers, serving the main economic battlefield, meeting the nation’s major needs, and benefiting people’s health and life., strengthen the construction of national strategic scientific and technological forces, optimize the positioning and layout of national research institutions, high-level research universities, and leading science and technology enterprises, comprehensively strengthen the tackling of key core technologies, and promote the systematic, institutionalized, and coordinated development of scientific and technological innovation forces, factor allocation, and talent teams. Improve the management of science and technology plans, strengthen forward-looking and leading layouts in basic research, cross-cutting frontier fields, and key areas. Strengthen the principal position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, and establish a mechanism for cultivating and strengthening leading science and technology enterprises. Strengthen organized basic research, encourage high-risk, high-value basic research, promote the continuous emergence of original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation achievements, and cultivate new momentum for the development of new quality productive forces[7]7 New quality productive forces is a term popularized by Xi Jinping, referring to advanced productivity driven by technological innovation, high-quality talent, and data as key factors..

中国式现代化要靠科技现代化作支撑，实现高质量发展要靠科技创新培育新动能。新时代以来，我国深入推动实施创新驱动发展战略，提出加快建设创新型国家的战略任务，确定2035年建成科技强国的战略目标，不断深化科技体制改革，充分激发科技人员积极性、主动性、创造性，有力推进高水平科技自立自强，基础研究和原始创新不断加强，一些关键核心技术实现突破，重大创新成果竞相涌现，我国进入创新型国家行列。同时，还存在科技原始创新能力相对薄弱、一些关键核心技术受制于人、顶尖科技人才不足等短板和弱项。必须进一步深化科技体制改革，进一步加大科技创新力度，抢占科技竞争和未来发展的制高点。锚定2035年建成科技强国的战略目标，坚持“四个面向”，加强国家战略科技力量建设，优化国家科研机构、高水平研究型大学、科技领军企业定位和布局，统筹强化关键核心技术攻关，推动科技创新力量、要素配置、人才队伍体系化、建制化、协同化。改进科技计划管理，强化基础研究领域、交叉前沿领域、重点领域前瞻性、引领性布局。强化企业科技创新主体地位，建立培育壮大科技领军企业机制。加强有组织的基础研究，鼓励开展高风险、高价值基础研究，推动原创性、颠覆性科技创新成果不断涌现，培育发展新质生产力的新动能。

Talent is the strategic resource for Chinese-path modernization.

人才是中国式现代化的战略资源

Talent is an important indicator of a country’s comprehensive national strength, and it is the foundation of a strong nation, the basis of competition, the key to transformation, and the source of vitality. In today’s world, competition in comprehensive national strength is ultimately competition in talent. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “All of the history of science and technology proves that whoever possesses first-class innovative talent and first-class scientists will be able to occupy an advantage in scientific and technological innovation.” As the most active, most dynamic, and most creative factor of production, talent is the root of innovation, and innovation-driven is essentially talent-driven. To achieve high-quality development and high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, the key is ultimately high-level innovative talent. Only by accelerating the implementation of the strategy to strengthen the nation through talent and gathering talents from all over the world to use them can we seize the initiative, win the opportunity, and gain an advantage in the new round of fierce global innovation competition.

人才是衡量一个国家综合国力的重要指标，是强国之本、竞争之基、转型之要、活力之源。当今世界综合国力的竞争，归根到底是人才的竞争。习近平总书记指出：“全部科技史都证明，谁拥有了一流创新人才、拥有了一流科学家，谁就能在科技创新中占据优势。”作为最活跃、最能动、最具有创造力的生产要素，人才是创新的根基，创新驱动实质上是人才驱动。实现高质量发展和高水平科技自立自强，归根到底要靠高水平创新人才。加快实施人才强国战略，聚天下英才而用之，才能在新一轮激烈的全球性创新竞争中争取主动、赢得先机、获得优势。

Since the New Era, the Party and the state have effectively promoted the rapid growth of the talent team, the continuous enhancement of talent effectiveness, and the steady increase of talent comparative advantages. The supporting role of talent for advancing Chinese-path modernization is unprecedented. China has become the largest and most complete talent resource country in the world. At the same time, it must be noted that the structural contradictions of China’s talent team are prominent, the precision of talent policies is not high, the talent development system and mechanisms are not flexible, and the talent evaluation system is not sound, which restricts the high-quality development of talent and affects the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system.

新时代以来，党和国家有力推动人才队伍快速壮大、人才效能持续增强、人才比较优势稳步增强，人才对推进中国式现代化的支撑作用前所未有。我国已成为全球规模最宏大、门类最齐全的人才资源大国。同时也要看到，我国人才队伍结构性矛盾突出，人才政策精准化程度不高、人才发展体制机制不活、人才评价体系不健全等，制约人才的高质量发展、影响国家创新体系整体效能的发挥。

On the new journey, to do talent work well, we must deepen the reform of the talent development system and mechanisms. Break down the institutional and mechanism obstacles in talent cultivation, use, evaluation, service, support, and incentives, break the phenomenon of the “Four Onlys”[8]8 The “Four Onlys” (si wei) refer to the overreliance on papers, diplomas, titles, and awards in evaluating researchers, a practice the Chinese government aims to reform., empower employing entities, unshackle talent, transform China’s institutional advantages into talent advantages and scientific and technological competitive advantages, and accelerate the formation of a cultivation mechanism conducive to talent growth, a use mechanism conducive to giving full play to talent, an incentive mechanism conducive to talent fully displaying their abilities, and a competition mechanism conducive to talent standing out. This is the fundamental approach to doing talent work well. Implement the requirements of the Decision, implement more proactive, more open, and more effective talent policies, improve the self-cultivation mechanism for talent, accelerate the construction of national high-level talent highlands and platforms for attracting and gathering talent. Accelerate the building of national strategic talent forces, focus on cultivating and bringing up strategic scientists, first-class scientific and technological leaders and innovation teams, focus on cultivating and bringing up outstanding engineers, master craftsmen of the nation, and highly skilled personnel, and improve the quality of all types of talent. Improve the orderly flow mechanism of talent, improve the mechanism for discovering, selecting, and cultivating young innovative talent, and improve the system for ensuring that scientific researchers concentrate on scientific research. Strengthen talent incentive mechanisms, establish a talent evaluation system oriented by innovation capability, quality, effectiveness, and contribution, and provide a good environment for all types of talent to display their talents and compete to grow.

新征程做好人才工作，必须深化人才发展体制机制改革。破除人才培养、使用、评价、服务、支持、激励等方面的体制机制障碍，破除“四唯”现象，向用人主体授权，为人才松绑，把我国制度优势转化为人才优势、科技竞争优势，加快形成有利于人才成长的培养机制、有利于人尽其才的使用机制、有利于人才各展其能的激励机制、有利于人才脱颖而出的竞争机制，是做好人才工作的治本之策。贯彻落实《决定》要求，实施更加积极、更加开放、更加有效的人才政策，完善人才自主培养机制，加快建设国家高水平人才高地和吸引集聚人才平台。加快建设国家战略人才力量，着力培养造就战略科学家、一流科技领军人才和创新团队，着力培养造就卓越工程师、大国工匠、高技能人才，提高各类人才素质。完善人才有序流动机制，完善青年创新人才发现、选拔、培养机制，健全保障科研人员专心科研制度。强化人才激励机制，建立以创新能力、质量、实效、贡献为导向的人才评价体系，为各类人才施展才华、竞相成长提供良好环境。

Coordinating the integrated reform of the institutional mechanisms for education, science and technology, and talent.

统筹推进教育科技人才体制机制一体改革

Education is an important cornerstone for national rejuvenation and scientific and technological progress; science and technology are the foundation of national strength and the key to security; talent is a strategic resource for gaining the initiative in competition amid the changes unseen in a century[9]9 “Changes unseen in a century” is a phrase used by Xi Jinping to describe the profound global shifts in geopolitics, technology, and economics.. The three—education, science and technology, and talent—are intrinsically consistent and mutually supportive. The Decision emphasizes coordinating the integrated reform of the institutional mechanisms for education, science and technology, and talent, deepening the understanding of the law of the trinity of education, science and technology, and talent, and deepening and developing the successful practice of comprehensively deepening reform since the New Era. On the new journey, it is necessary to better coordinate and advance the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, cultivate high-quality talent through high-level education, use high-quality talent to promote high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, use high-level science and technology to support and lead high-quality economic development, continuously enhance China’s core competitiveness in talent competition and scientific and technological competition, and provide stronger talent support, intellectual support, and innovation impetus for advancing Chinese-path modernization.

教育是民族振兴、科技进步的重要基石，科技是国家强盛之基、安全之要，人才是在百年大变局中赢得竞争主动的战略资源。教育、科技、人才三者内在一致、相互支撑。《决定》强调统筹推进教育科技人才体制机制一体改革，深化了对教育、科技、人才三位一体的规律性认识，是对新时代以来全面深化改革成功实践的深化和发展。新征程上，要更好统筹推进教育、科技、人才一体化发展，以高水平教育培养高素质人才，以高素质人才推动实现高水平科技自立自强，以高水平科技支撑引领经济高质量发展，不断增强我国在人才竞争和科技竞争中的核心竞争力，为推进中国式现代化提供更加有力的人才支撑、智力支持和创新动力。

To coordinate and promote the integrated reform of the institutional mechanisms for education, science and technology, and talent, we must adhere to systematic thinking and a problem orientation. Adhere to the organic integration and deep integration of the institutional mechanism reforms of education, science and technology, and talent, plan with integrated thinking, systematically advance education development, scientific and technological innovation, and talent cultivation with integrated measures, and form a strong synergy for advancing Chinese-path modernization. Aim at common problems faced by education, science and technology, and talent development, study, decide, and deploy as a whole, clear bottlenecks, obstructions, and difficulties, promote the coordinated development of the three, and build an integrated development pattern of talent cultivation, scientific research, achievement transformation, and scientific evaluation.

统筹推进教育科技人才体制机制一体改革，要坚持系统思维和问题导向。坚持教育、科技、人才三方面体制机制改革有机贯通、深度融合，以一体化思维统筹谋划、一体化举措系统推进教育发展、科技创新、人才培养，形成推进中国式现代化的强大合力。针对教育、科技、人才发展面临的共性问题，一体研究、一体决策、一体部署，打通堵点淤点难点，促进三者协同发力，构建人才培养、科研攻关、成果转化、科学评价的一体化发展格局。

To coordinate and promote the integrated reform of the institutional mechanisms for education, science and technology, and talent, we must help enhance the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system. Leverage the advantages of the new nationwide system for mobilizing resources[10]10 The new nationwide system for mobilizing resources (xin xing ju guo tizhi) combines state-led coordination with market mechanisms to concentrate resources on national strategic priorities, especially in science and technology., strengthen coordination in strategic planning, policy measures, major tasks, research forces, resource platforms, regional innovation, etc., build a collaborative and efficient decision-making command system and organizational implementation system, integrate social resources, and form a strong synergy to promote scientific and technological innovation. Adhere to innovation-led development, strengthen the full-chain deployment and all-domain layout of scientific and technological innovation, build a technological innovation system, a knowledge innovation system, a national defense science and technology innovation system, a regional innovation system, a scientific and technological intermediary service system, etc., and enhance the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system.

统筹推进教育科技人才体制机制一体改革，要助力提升国家创新体系整体效能。发挥新型举国体制优势，加强战略规划、政策措施、重大任务、科研力量、资源平台、区域创新等方面的统筹，构建协同高效的决策指挥体系和组织实施体系，整合社会资源，凝聚推动科技创新的强大合力。坚持创新引领发展，加强科技创新全链条部署、全领域布局，构建技术创新体系、知识创新体系、国防科学技术创新体系、区域创新体系、科学技术中介服务体系等，提升国家创新体系整体效能。

To coordinate and promote the integrated reform of the institutional mechanisms for education, science and technology, and talent, we must persist in cultivating a culture of innovation. An innovation culture that respects science, encourages exploration, advocates innovation, and tolerates failure is an important force driving social development and progress. The innovative development of education, science and technology, and talent work cannot be separated from the nourishment of an innovation culture. Innovation, especially scientific and technological innovation, is an exploratory and creative practice that requires liberating the mind and daring to discard the old and initiate the new[11]11 “Discard the old and initiate the new” (ge gu ding xin) is a Chinese idiom advocating reform and innovation.. The history of world science and technology shows that those great scientific discoveries and inventions that have profoundly affected the development of human society were all born on the basis of doubt and criticism. The Decision makes strategic arrangements for building a comprehensive innovation-supporting system and mechanisms, fully reflecting the clear orientation of promoting innovation and development through reform. Persist in cultivating an innovation culture, inherit the innovation genes of the excellent traditional Chinese culture, create a good environment that encourages exploration and tolerates failure, so that respecting science and pursuing innovation become widespread practice in the whole society, and help Chinese-path modernization advance steadily.

统筹推进教育科技人才体制机制一体改革，要坚持培育创新文化。崇尚科学、鼓励探索、倡导创新、宽容失败的创新文化，是推动社会发展进步的重要力量。教育科技人才工作的创新发展，离不开创新文化的滋养。创新尤其是科技创新，是一种探索性、创造性实践，必须解放思想，敢于革故鼎新。世界科技史表明，那些深远影响人类社会发展的伟大科学发现发明，都是在怀疑、批判的基础上产生的。《决定》对构建支持全面创新体制机制作出战略部署，充分体现了以改革促创新促发展的鲜明导向。坚持培育创新文化，传承中华优秀传统文化的创新基因，营造鼓励探索、宽容失败的良好环境，使崇尚科学、追求创新在全社会蔚然成风，助力中国式现代化行稳致远。

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧