Breaking the Rank Barrier for Professional Titles Accelerates the Growth of Young Social Sciences Scholars

“The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is brimming with talent, and those applying for exceptional promotion in professional titles are exceptionally outstanding. I believe that after promotion, they will serve as excellent role models in the academic community.” “The participating comrades have a high academic level and comprehensive abilities, capable of writing both papers and monographs as well as policy briefs. Our university should learn from the Academy of Social Sciences.” Recently, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) successfully completed its 2024 professional title evaluation work, with 289 staff members across the academy receiving promotions. At the evaluation meeting, external reviewers from other institutions fully affirmed and positively evaluated the academy’s title work, especially its exceptional promotion efforts.

“中国社会科学院人才济济，申报破格晋升职称人员非常优秀，相信晋升职称后会在学界起到很好的榜样作用。”“参评同志学术水平高，能力很全面，既能写论文专著，又能写要报，我们学校要向社科院学习。”近日，中国社会科学院2024年度职称评审工作圆满完成，全院289人顺利晋升职称。评审会上，与会的院外单位评委对我院职称工作尤其是破格工作的成效给予了充分肯定和积极评价。

Exceptional promotion for professional titles greatly stimulates the research enthusiasm of young scholars

职称破格极大激发青年学者的科研热情

In 2024, 13 people across the academy received exceptional promotions in professional titles (8 to senior rank and 5 to associate senior rank), exceeding the total number of such promotions from 2021 to 2023 combined. Previously, those receiving exceptional promotions were concentrated in the Faculty of Economics, with a few scattered in the Faculty of History and the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy. This year, the disciplinary scope of exceptional promotions has broadened, covering the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy, the Faculty of History, the Faculty of Economics, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, and the Faculty of International Studies. In terms of professional title series, in addition to researchers, editorial staff also received exceptional promotions. In recent years, CASS has vigorously promoted the exceptional promotion system for professional titles, and the research enthusiasm of young scholars has reached unprecedented levels. As Yang Zhen from the Institute of Industrial Economics put it, the exceptional promotion system establishes a high-quality orientation, breaks the practice of seniority-based advancement, and allows young scholars to be free from the constraints of institute quotas, enabling talented youth who “want to and can produce high-quality academic research” to no longer “sigh over professional titles” but instead “stand out one after another.” Sharing a similar experience with Yang Zhen, Fan Jiarui from the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy, Gong Xiaofei from the Institute of American Studies, Yang Yuanzhang from the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, and Wu Haijun from the Institute of Industrial Economics, who were all promoted to associate senior rank through exceptional promotion in June of this year, have not been at CASS for long, having held intermediate rank for less than two years before promotion. According to statistics from the CASS Bureau of Personnel and Education, in 2024, the average duration of intermediate rank for those receiving exceptional promotion to associate senior rank was significantly shortened compared to those receiving regular promotion to associate senior rank. In Fan Jiarui’s view, the shortened promotion timeline is a tremendous boost to the career development of young scholars, representing the academy’s trust and expectations, and inspiring young scholars to apply their academic expertise to advance the construction of the “three major systems” [1]1 The “three major systems” refers to the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. of philosophy and social sciences, contributing more wisdom and strength to national rejuvenation and the great cause of building a strong country. “The exceptional promotion system for professional titles acts as an accelerator for the rapid growth of young researchers. Prioritizing support for young researchers with strong academic abilities helps foster a positive, upward, and healthily competitive academic atmosphere across the academy.” Xiong Changkun from the Institute of Economics believes that, in addition to the reform of the professional title system, CASS has also successively introduced a series of talent systems, such as the mentor system for young scholars, the “Youth Initiation Plan” [2]2 The “Youth Initiation Plan” (青启计划) is a CASS program to support early-career researchers in launching their independent research projects., and the “Cultivation and Outreach Plan” [3]3 The “Cultivation and Outreach Plan” (培远计划) is a CASS program for nurturing promising young scholars and facilitating their academic development and broader impact., forming a systematic talent cultivation system that allows young researchers to focus on scientific research without worries. Yang Bo from the Institute of Ancient History believes that CASS provides comprehensive, whole-chain cultivation for young scholars, encouraging and supporting them to form academic communities, and building platforms for young talent to start and develop their careers. Yang Yuanzhang also stated that, comparing his own experience horizontally with those of his classmates and friends, he feels that CASS’s efforts in motivating, cultivating, and supporting young talent are quite outstanding.

2024年，全院有13人破格晋升职称（正高8人、副高5人），超过了2021-2023年破格晋升职称人数的总和。此前，破格晋升职称人员集中于经济学部、散见于历史学部和文哲学部。今年，破格晋升职称人员学科范围更广了，覆盖了文哲学部、历史学部、经济学部、社会政法学部和国际研究学部。从职称系列看，除科研人员外，也有编辑人员破格晋升职称。近年来，中国社会科学院大力推行职称破格制度，青年学者的科研热情空前高涨。正如工业经济研究所阳镇所言，职称破格制度树立了高质量导向，打破了论资排辈，使青年学者可以不受研究所指标限制，让“想做且能做高质量学术研究”的青年才俊不再“望职称兴叹”，而是“纷纷脱颖而出”。与阳镇经历相似，今年6月一同破格晋升副研究员的亚太与全球战略研究院范佳睿、美国研究所宫小飞、民族学与人类研究所杨园章及工业经济研究所吴海军，均入职社科院时间不长，中级任职不到两年即晋升副高。据社科院人事教育局统计，2024年，全院破格晋升副高人员与常规晋升副高人员相比，在中级的平均任职年限大大缩短。在范佳睿看来，晋升年限缩短对青年学者职业发展是一种巨大的助力，代表着院里的信任和期待，激励青年学者运用各自学术专长，推进哲学社会科学“三大体系”建设，为民族复兴、强国伟业贡献更多智慧和力量。“职称破格制度对青年研究人员的快速成长起到了加速器的作用。重点支持学术能力强的青年研究人员，有利于在全院形成积极向上、良性竞争的学术氛围。”经济研究所熊昌锟认为，除了职称制度改革，社科院还先后推出青年学者导师制以及“青启计划”“培远计划”等一系列人才制度，形成了系统化的人才培养体系，让青年研究人员无后顾之忧，可安心从事科研工作。古代史研究所杨博认为，社科院对青年学者进行全链条全方位的悉心栽培，鼓励和支持青年学者形成学术共同体，为青年人才搭建干事创业的平台。杨园章也表示，横向比较自己本人与其他同学朋友的经历，感到社科院对青年人才激励、培养和支持的力度是相当突出的。

Diversified evaluation standards open up growth pathways for different categories of talent

多元化评价标准畅通不同类别人才成长通道

In recent years, competition for professional title evaluation at the Institute of Finance and Banking has been fierce, and Wang Xiangnan and his colleagues face significant pressure. Exceptional promotion for professional titles does not occupy the institute’s quotas for titles and positions for five years. Colleagues Zhang Heng and Cao Jing from the same institute were promoted to associate senior rank through exceptional promotion in 2022 and 2023 respectively, which greatly encouraged Wang Xiangnan. “I remember that at a full-institute meeting in November 2023, the institute conveyed the year’s evaluation and appointment notice and the ‘Regulations on Exceptional Promotion and Quota Adjustment’ word by word, meticulously explained the core points of the rules, and encouraged us to seriously benchmark against the standards and strive to produce more high-level research results.” In June of this year, Wang Xiangnan was promoted to senior rank through exceptional promotion. Looking back on the journey, the scene is still vivid in his memory. The “Regulations on Exceptional Promotion and Quota Adjustment,” implemented by CASS at the end of 2023, further improved the “menu-style” comprehensive evaluation standards, added achievement-based evaluation standards, increased optional conditions for application, and optimized the evaluation of policy research results, high-quality academic monographs, project and research award evaluations, and evaluations of papers in overseas journals. Different categories of talent can independently choose their direction of effort based on disciplinary characteristics and their own strengths. The “menu-style” evaluation standards allow young scholars to choose the method of exceptional promotion according to their specialties. Gong Xiaofei, for example, was promoted to associate senior rank through exceptional promotion under the comprehensive category. An older colleague at the institute said to Gong Xiaofei with great envy, “You have caught the best time at CASS; you should cherish the opportunity and achieve results.” Zhou Yamin from the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy believes that the “menu-style” evaluation standards provide diversified choices for talent from different disciplinary backgrounds, with the focus all pointing to high-quality research results. This clear goal orientation prompts young personnel to proactively conduct cutting-edge, innovative, and independent research centered on major national strategic needs, helping to cultivate and select talent for constructing an independent knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

近年来，金融研究所职称评审竞争激烈，王向楠和同事面临着很大压力。破格晋升职称可在5年内不占用本所职称和岗位指标，同所的张珩、曹婧分别于2022、2023年破格晋升副研究员，让王向楠受到极大鼓舞。“我记得在2023年11月的一次全所大会上，所里逐字逐句传达了当年的评聘通知和《职称破格及指标调剂规程》，细致讲解了规则的核心要点，并鼓励我们认真对照标准，努力作出更多高水平研究成果。”今年6月，王向楠破格晋升研究员。回望来时路，当时的场景仍然历历在目。中国社会科学院2023年底出台实施的《职称破格及指标调剂规程》，进一步完善了“菜单式”的综合类评价标准，增设了成果类评价标准，增加了申报条件可选项，优化了对策研究成果评价、高质量学术专著评价、课题项目和科研奖项评价以及境外期刊论文评价，不同类别人才可根据学科特点及自身所长自主选择努力方向。“菜单式”评价标准让青年学者能够按照自己的特长来选择破格方式，宫小飞便是通过综合类条件破格晋升副研究员的。所里一位老同志充满羡慕地对宫小飞说，“你们赶上了社科院最好的时候，应当珍惜机会、干出成绩。”亚太与全球战略研究院周亚敏认为，“菜单式”评价标准为不同学科背景的人才提供了多元化选择，焦点均指向高质量科研成果。这种明确的目标导向使青年人员主动围绕国家重大战略需求展开前沿性、创新性、自主性研究，有助于为构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系培育和选拔人才。

Improving systems and optimizing services to promote high-quality development of professional title work

完善制度优化服务，推动职称工作高质量发展

In 2024, CASS also made new progress in the classified evaluation of professional titles. Under the guidance of the Bureau of Personnel and Education, the Institute of Linguistics formulated and issued the “Conditions for Applying for Dictionary Editor Professional Titles in the Publishing Series,” and the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences drafted the “Management Regulations for Professional Title Evaluation Work in the Higher Education Series,” improving evaluation systems that better align with the duties and work characteristics of dictionary editors and university faculty. Building on previous pilot work, in 2024, the professional title application system was formally promoted and used across CASS, achieving full coverage. Basic personal information from the academy’s personnel information system can be directly extracted into the title application system, greatly reducing the amount of information researchers need to fill in and saving time. AMI journal information [4]4 AMI (Academy of Social Sciences Metrics) journal information is a Chinese journal evaluation and classification system developed by CASS. is embedded in the title application system, with standardizable information set as dropdown menus for selection, effectively reducing the audit workload for personnel and research cadres and significantly improving work quality and efficiency. Additionally, the application system breaks geographical restrictions, allowing researchers working long-term outside Beijing or even overseas to submit applications and undergo audits online. Many scholars report that they no longer need to make multiple trips to the institute to submit forms and revise materials, which is very convenient. Many personnel cadres also indicate that using the title application system for audits allows them to provide feedback to scholars on audit results in a timely manner, which is very fast and convenient. In the next step, according to the deployment of the Party Leadership Group [5]5 The Party Leadership Group (党组) is the leading Party core within a state organ or institution like CASS, responsible for ensuring implementation of Party policies., CASS will continue to deepen the reform of the professional title system, explore and improve evaluation methods for the museum and archival series and formulate relevant standards, formulate and issue the “Management Measures for Graded Appointment of Professional and Technical Positions,” and revise and improve the “Management Measures for Professional Title Evaluation Work”... to further establish a high-quality orientation, better leverage the “baton” role of professional title evaluation, and guide and encourage academy units to “produce first-class results and high-level talent.”

2024年，中国社会科学院的职称分类评价也取得了新进展。在院人事教育局指导下，语言研究所制定印发了《出版系列辞书编辑职称申报条件》，中国社会科学院大学研究起草了《高教系列职称评审工作管理规定》，完善了更加符合辞书编辑、高校教师岗位职责和工作特点的评价制度。在以往试点基础上，2024年，职称申报系统正式在中国社会科学院推广使用，实现了全覆盖。院人事信息系统中的个人基础信息可以直接提取至职称申报系统，大大减少了科研人员的信息填报量，节约了时间。AMI期刊信息内置于职称申报系统中，可标准化的信息被设置为下拉菜单进行选择，有效减轻了人事科研干部的审核工作量，显著提升了工作质量和效率。此外，申报系统还打破了地域限制，长期在京外甚至海外工作的科研人员，可进行线上申报和审核。不少学者反映，不用再为交表和改材料往所里跑好多趟了，非常便利。很多人事干部也表示，使用职称申报系统进行审核，可以第一时间向学者反馈审核情况，非常方便快捷。下一步，根据院党组部署，中国社会科学院将持续深化职称制度改革，探索完善文博系列人员评价方式并制定相关标准，制定印发《专业技术岗位分级聘用工作管理办法》，修订完善《职称评审工作管理办法》......以进一步树立高质量导向，更好地发挥职称评审“指挥棒”作用，引导和激励院属单位“出一流成果、出高水平人才”。

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧