Independently Cultivating High-Level Talents to Help Develop New Quality Productive Forces

Cultivating and creating a large number of high-level talents who have both ability and moral integrity is an urgent need for the development of the Party and the country. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC points out that we should comprehensively improve the quality of independent talent cultivation, strive to cultivate top-notch innovative talents, and gather talents from all over the world and use them. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Promoting Chinese-Path Modernization" adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC further emphasizes the need to "improve the mechanism for independent talent cultivation", "improve the mechanism for scientific and technological innovation in universities", and "strive to strengthen the cultivation of innovative capabilities". Enhancing innovation capability is the main goal and important content of independent cultivation of high-level talents. New quality productive forces are characterized by innovation. The comprehensive improvement of the quality of independent cultivation of high-level talents also contributes to the cultivation, formation, and development of new quality productive forces.

培养造就大批德才兼备的高层次人才是党和国家事业发展的迫切需要。党的二十大报告指出，全面提高人才自主培养质量，着力造就拔尖创新人才，聚天下英才而用之。党的二十届三中全会通过的《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》进一步强调，要“完善人才自主培养机制”“完善高校科技创新机制”“着力加强创新能力培养”等。增强创新能力是高层次人才自主培养的主要目标和重要内容。新质生产力的特点是创新。高层次人才自主培养质量的全面提高，也有助于新质生产力的培育、形成和发展。

New quality productive forces are closely related to high-level talents. New quality productive forces are an advanced form of productive forces in which innovation plays a leading role, characterized by high technology, high efficiency, and high quality, which respectively represent the instrumental (starting point), effect (process), and result (end point) characteristics of new quality productive forces. High-level talents in the New Era are mainly reflected in three aspects: high academic qualifications, high level, and high quality. High academic qualifications refer to receiving high-level education at the master's level and above; high level refers to high academic theoretical level and strong scientific research innovation and practical operation ability; high quality refers to reaching a certain height in the development of moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education. The accelerated development of new quality productive forces is the ultimate goal and value pursuit of independent cultivation of high-level talents, and high-level talents are the key force and main support for promoting the development of new quality productive forces.

新质生产力与高层次人才关系密切。新质生产力是创新起主导作用的先进生产力质态，具有高技术、高效能、高质量三大特征，分别表示新质生产力的工具性（起点性）、效果性（过程性）、结果性（终点性）特点。新时代的高层次人才主要体现在三个方面：学历高、水平高和素质高。学历高指接受硕士研究生及以上的高层次教育；水平高指学术理论水平高和科研创新力、实践操作力强；素质高指在德智体美劳等多方面发展都达到一定高度。新质生产力的加快发展是高层次人才自主培养的终极目标和价值追求，而高层次人才是促进新质生产力发展的关键力量和主要支撑。

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The competition for talent in today's world is first and foremost the competition for talent cultivation." We must take the path of independent talent cultivation in order to improve the self-controllable capacity of talent supply. Key core technologies are the sharp tools of the country that are not shown to others, and cannot be asked for, begged for, or bought. To strive to achieve their independent controllability, we must rely on the independent cultivation, supply, incentive, and use of high-level, high-tech talents, so as to firmly grasp the initiative in scientific and technological independent innovation and the development of new quality productive forces.

习近平总书记强调：“当今世界人才的竞争首先是人才培养的竞争。”我们必须要走好人才自主培养之路，以提高人才供给自主可控能力。关键核心技术是不示于人的国之利器，是要不来、讨不来、买不来的，要努力实现对其自主可控，必须依靠高层次、高科技人才的自主培养、供给、激励和使用，以牢牢把握科技自主创新和新质生产力发展的主动权。

First, implement the guidelines and policies for independent cultivation of high-level talents. Independent cultivation of high-level talents must adhere to the correct political direction and value orientation, and implement the "four, three, five" guidelines and policies for graduate education, namely the "four purposes" education policy, the "three complete education" policy requirement, and the "five educations simultaneously" guiding concept. Adhering to the "four purposes" education policy of "serving the people" and "serving the Chinese Communist Party's governance" is the value goal and fundamental principle of graduate cultivation in China in the New Era; adhering to the "three complete education" of all staff, whole process, and all aspects is the key to ensuring the quality of graduate talent cultivation; adhering to the "five educations simultaneously" of moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education is of great significance for implementing the strategy of strengthening the country through talent.

第一，贯彻落实高层次人才自主培养的方针政策。高层次人才自主培养要坚持正确的政治方向和价值取向，贯彻落实好研究生教育的“四”“三”“五”方针政策，即“四为”教育方针、“三全育人”政策要求和“五育并举”指导理念。坚持“为人民服务”“为中国共产党治国理政服务”等“四为”教育方针是新时代我国研究生培养的价值目标和根本遵循；坚持全员全过程全方位“三全育人”是确保研究生人才培养质量的关键；坚持德智体美劳“五育并举”对于实施人才强国战略意义重大。

Second, construct an autonomous knowledge system for independent cultivation of high-level talents. The prerequisite for independent cultivation of high-level talents is to construct a Chinese autonomous knowledge system for graduate education, building three major systems: the disciplinary system, the academic system, and the discourse system. First, optimize one's own disciplinary system. Accelerate the formation of a sound situation where basic disciplines are steadily cultivated, key disciplines are prominently developed, niche "endangered" disciplines are preserved and passed on, interdisciplinary disciplines are encouraged for research, and emerging disciplines are innovatively developed. Second, openly develop the academic system. Within the framework of one's own disciplinary system, continuously create an autonomous academic system serving national strategies with characteristics such as globality, foresight, and schools of thought, including ideological theories, practical methods, curricula and textbooks, and academic evaluation. Third, continue to expand the discourse system. Strive to build a Chinese autonomous conceptual discourse system with characteristics such as originality, openness, and leadership, reflecting Chinese theoretical and practical innovation, and integrating ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign knowledge.

第二，建构高层次人才自主培养的自主知识体系。高层次人才自主培养的前提是建构中国自主的研究生教育知识体系，构建学科体系、学术体系、话语体系三大体系。一是优化自身学科体系。加快形成基础学科稳健培育、重点学科突出耕耘、冷门绝学传承保护、交叉学科鼓励研究和新兴学科创新发展的良好局面。二是开放发展学术体系。在自身学科体系框架下，不断开创包括思想理论、实践方法、课程教材、学术评价在内的具有全球性、前瞻性、流派性等特征的服务国家战略的自主学术体系。三是继续开拓话语体系。努力构建具有原创性、开放性、引领性等特征的反映中国理论与实践创新、融通古今中外的中国自主的概念话语体系。

Third, optimize and adjust the layout of disciplines and specialties. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that we should aim at scientific and technological frontiers and key fields and deeply promote the adjustment of disciplines and specialties. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC emphasizes strengthening the construction of basic disciplines, emerging disciplines, and interdisciplinary disciplines, and accelerating the construction of world-class universities and advantageous disciplines with Chinese characteristics. First, pay special attention to and give priority to the development of basic disciplines such as mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, and earth sciences. Second, focus on supporting and rapidly developing emerging disciplines such as big data, quantum information, unmanned driving, artificial intelligence, and financial technology. Third, actively explore and integratedly develop interdisciplinary disciplines such as biochemistry, digital art, media culture, ship and ocean engineering, and nanoscience and technology. Fourth, fully support and supervise the development of advantageous disciplines such as cyberspace security, nuclear science and technology, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese materia medica, and astronomy.

第三，优化调整学科专业设置布局。习近平总书记强调，瞄准科技前沿和关键领域，深入推进学科专业调整。党的二十大报告强调，加强基础学科、新兴学科、交叉学科建设，加快建设中国特色、世界一流的大学和优势学科。一是特别重视并优先发展数学、化学、生物、物理、地球科学等基础学科。二是重点扶持并快速发展大数据、量子信息、无人驾驶、人工智能、金融科技等新兴学科。三是积极探索并融合发展生物化学、数字艺术、媒体文化、船舶与海洋工程、纳米科学与技术等交叉学科。四是全力支持并督促发展网络空间安全、核科学与技术、中医学、中药学、天文学等优势学科。

Fourth, innovate the independent cultivation model for high-level scientific and technological talents. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that scientific and technological innovation can give birth to new industries, new models, and new drivers, and is the core element for developing new quality productive forces. Facing the need to independently cultivate a large number of high-level scientific and technological talents, the current cultivation model for graduate students, especially doctoral students, in China has prominent problems such as aging curricula and textbooks, outdated teaching cases, obsolete experimental facilities, theoretical learning disconnected from society, scientific research derailed from the times, and research results separated from production. It must be innovated and improved to truly achieve high-level scientific and technological independent innovation and self-reliance. Universities, especially science and engineering graduate education, should actively cooperate with science and technology enterprises, research institutes, social institutions, etc., and jointly cultivate graduate students by setting up graduate workstations in enterprises and institutes, hiring off-campus part-time tutors, etc., jointly promoting the integration of science and education, the combination of production and education, and the deep integration of industry, academia, and research. Universities can also base themselves on the innovation chain, perfect the talent chain, coordinate the capital chain, and lay out the industrial chain, fully utilizing the advantages of the new nationwide system for mobilizing resources, focusing on promoting the integration of the "four chains", achieving "multi-party win-win", and promoting the seamless connection between high-level talent cultivation and high-level scientific and technological innovation.

第四，创新高层次科技人才自主培养模式。习近平总书记指出，科技创新能够催生新产业、新模式、新动能，是发展新质生产力的核心要素。面对自主培养大批高层次科技人才的需求，当前我国研究生尤其是博士研究生的培养模式存在课程教材老化、教学案例过时、实验设施陈旧、理论学习与社会脱节、科学研究与时代脱轨、科研成果与生产脱钩等突出问题，必须进行创新完善，才能真正实现高水平科技自主创新和自立自强。高校尤其是理工科研究生教育应积极与科技企业、科研院所、社会机构等合作，通过在企业、院所等单位设立研究生工作站、聘请校外兼职导师等方式联合培养研究生，合力推进科教聚合、产教结合、产学研深度融合；高校还可以立足创新链、完善人才链、统筹资金链、布局产业链，充分利用新型举国体制优势，聚力推动“四链”融合，实现“多方共赢”，促成高层次人才培养与高水平科技创新的无缝衔接。

Fifth, build a high-level team of supervisors capable of shouldering the task of independently cultivating high-level talents. A famous teacher produces an outstanding student; only a team of high-level graduate supervisors (hereinafter referred to as "supervisors") with both ability and moral integrity can independently cultivate high-level talents with both excellent character and academic performance. First, take the construction of supervisors' professional ethics and conduct as the fundamental point, emphasizing the fundamental responsibility of fostering virtue and nurturing talents. Second, take the cultivation of supervisors' comprehensive abilities as the key point, establish a long-term cultivation mechanism of "carefully nurturing talent". Third, take the construction of a benign and harmonious supervisor-student relationship as the support point, build new types of harmonious supervisor-student relationships such as "good teacher" type and "helpful friend" type. Fourth, take "improving quality, safeguarding rights, and reducing pressure" for supervisors as the foothold, reduce supervisors' life pressure and psychological burden.

第五，建设堪当高层次人才自主培养重任的高水平导师队伍。名师出高徒，只有德才兼备的高水平研究生导师（以下简称“导师”）队伍，才能自主培养出品学兼优的高层次人才。一是以导师师德师风建设为根本点，强调立德树人的根本职责；二是以导师综合能力培育为关键点，建立“悉心育才”的长效培育机制；三是以良性和谐的导学关系构建为支撑点，建构“良师”型、“益友”型等新型和谐的导学关系；四是以为导师“提质、维权、减压”为立足点，减轻导师生活压力及心理负担等。

Sixth, explore reforms to the evaluation system of graduate education for independent cultivation of high-level talents. We must give full play to the baton role of education evaluation, explore value-added evaluation, and deepen the reform of education evaluation. First, innovate the theory of value-added evaluation for graduate education. As an innovative choice for the theory of value-added evaluation in graduate education, the "multi-dimensional and high-precision" evaluation theory (hereinafter referred to as the "dual-degree" theory) is evolved from traditional evaluation theories such as performance evaluation, 360-degree evaluation, and fourth-generation evaluation. It consists of two parts: "multi-dimensional" and "high-precision", which are interrelated and have their own characteristics. Specifically, it refers to the multi-dimensional paths of "person," "time," and "space" in value-added evaluation of graduate students, and high-precision requirements such as "autonomous development," "cultural foundation," and "social participation." Second, change the evaluation standards for value-added evaluation of graduate education. Only by resolutely eliminating the stubborn problems of the "five-only" evaluation standards of only scores, only advancement, only diplomas, only papers, and only titles can we reverse the unscientific direction of education evaluation. Therefore, graduate education evaluation should also "break the five-only" and "establish new standards," and actively explore value-added evaluation that promotes the comprehensive and sustainable development of graduate students. Third, explore the path of value-added evaluation for graduate education. Design a "dual-degree" model based on the above "dual-degree" theory, and use big data, information technology, and other means to explore the path of value-added evaluation for graduate education with diversified evaluation subjects, comprehensive evaluation content, multi-standard evaluation criteria, long-term evaluation process, precise evaluation results, and diverse evaluation functions.

第六，探索高层次人才自主培养的研究生教育评价体系改革。要充分发挥教育评价的指挥棒作用，探索增值评价，深化教育评价改革。一是创新研究生教育增值评价理论。作为研究生教育增值评价理论的一种创新选择，“多维度高精度”评价理论（以下简称“双度”理论）是在绩效评价、360度评价、第四代评价等传统评价理论基础上演变而成，由“多维度”和“高精度”两部分组成，两者相互关联又各具特色，具体指研究生增值评价的“人”“时”“空”等多维度路径和“自主发展”“文化基础”“社会参与”等高精度要求。二是变革研究生教育增值评价标准。只有坚决破除唯分数、唯升学、唯文凭、唯论文、唯帽子“五唯”评价标准顽疾，才能扭转不科学的教育评价导向。因此，研究生教育评价也应该“破五唯”“立新标”，积极探索促进研究生全面可持续发展的增值评价。三是探索研究生教育增值评价路径。根据上述“双度”理论设计出“双度”模型，利用大数据、信息技术等手段探索评价主体多元化、评价内容全面化、评价标准多维化、评价过程长期化、评价结果精准化、评价功能多样化的研究生教育增值评价路径。

(The author is an Associate Researcher at the Institute of Higher Education, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and a Special Researcher at the Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.)

（作者系南京邮电大学高等教育研究所副研究员、江苏省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧