Deng Xiaoping’s Emphasis on and Promotion of Scientific and Technological Talent Cultivation after Reform and Opening Up

The cultivation of scientific and technological (S&T) talent is an important strategic task for the Party. After reform and opening up, Deng Xiaoping engaged in in-depth theoretical reflection and practical exploration regarding the cultivation of S&T talent, injecting powerful momentum into the development of China’s science and technology during the 1980s and 1990s and beyond.

科技人才培养工作是党的一项重要战略任务。改革开放以后，邓小平就科技人才培养工作进行了深入的理论思考和实践探索，为20世纪八九十年代乃至更长时间内中国科学技术的发展注入了强大动力。

I. A Profound Grasp of the Importance and Urgency of Cultivating China’s S&T Talent

一、深刻把握我国科技人才培养的重要性和紧迫性

As early as the early days of the founding of New China, Deng Xiaoping pointed out that scientific research work was “a matter of fundamental construction,” and that “in the old society, science was constrained by various reactionary forces and could not develop. Now it is a new society, and it can develop greatly.” In the late 1970s, after his return to office, Deng Xiaoping took the initiative to request responsibility for education and scientific work. From a strategic height, he profoundly grasped the importance and urgency of cultivating S&T talent, laying the foundation for vigorously carrying out related work in the new period.

早在新中国成立初期，邓小平就指出，科学研究工作是“基本建设性的工作”，“在旧社会，科学受各种反动势力的束缚，不能得到发展。现在是新社会，可以大发展了”。20世纪70年代后期，邓小平再次复出后，主动要求分管教育和科学工作。他从战略高度深刻把握科技人才培养的重要性和紧迫性，为新时期大力做好相关工作奠定了基础。

(1) Clarifying the Importance of Cultivating S&T Talent

（一）明确了科技人才培养的重要性

Deng Xiaoping discussed the importance of cultivating S&T talent from two aspects: realizing the modernization of science and technology and ensuring that China would “always have a place” in the high-tech field in the future.

邓小平从实现科学技术现代化以及确保未来我国在高科技领域“始终占有一席之地”两个方面论述了科技人才培养的重要性。

The inevitable requirement for ensuring the realization of the modernization of science and technology. Deng Xiaoping first established the important position of the modernization of science and technology within the Four Modernizations [n1] from the overall perspective of national economic and social development. He clearly stated: “The key to the Four Modernizations is the modernization of science and technology. Without modern science and technology, it is impossible to build modern agriculture, modern industry, or modern national defense.” Then, based on the fact that S&T talent is an important support for realizing the modernization of science and technology, he elucidated the paramount importance of cultivating S&T talent. In September 1982, the 12th National Congress of the CPC, under the main task of comprehensively creating a new situation in socialist modernization, designated “education and science” as one of the strategic priorities for China’s economic development over the next 20 years. When evaluating the strategic priorities determined by the 12th National Congress, Deng Xiaoping pointed out, “Doing a good job in education and scientific work, I think this is the key. Without talent, it won’t work; without knowledge, it won’t work.” This actually emphasized the important strategic position of cultivating S&T talent. Subsequently, in a conversation with comrades in charge of the State Planning Commission, he profoundly foresaw that to realize the 20-year plan, “doing a good job in scientific and technological work and the work of cultivating and using talent” would be “the most difficult.” For this reason, “we must open up a path so that talented people can grow quickly… Only with a constant stream of talent can our cause have hope.” Insufficient S&T talent would inevitably affect the modernization development strategy, a point Deng Xiaoping deeply understood. Around the 1980s, he repeatedly mentioned that because we had been influenced by “Left” thinking for a period, “we have many arrears in energy, transportation, urban construction, and other areas, especially in education, where the loss has been greatest. We have not cultivated young talent, and scientific research has also been delayed.” To “carry out the Four Modernizations,” “we must repay these arrears. If we don’t solve these problems, we can’t move fast even if we want to.” It was necessary to “raise our country’s scientific and technological level and cultivate hundreds of millions of talents at all levels and of all types.”

确保实现科学技术现代化的必然要求。邓小平先是从国家经济与社会发展全局出发，确立了科学技术现代化在四个现代化中的重要地位。他鲜明提出：“四个现代化，关键是科学技术的现代化。没有现代科学技术，就不可能建设现代农业、现代工业、现代国防。”然后基于科技人才是实现科学技术现代化的重要支撑，阐明了科技人才培养的至关重要性。1982年9月，党的十二大在全面开创社会主义现代化建设新局面的主要任务下，把“教育和科学”作为未来20年我国经济发展的战略重点之一。邓小平在评价十二大确定的战略重点时指出，“搞好教育和科学工作，我看这是关键。没有人才不行，没有知识不行”，这里实际上就强调了科技人才培养的重要战略地位。紧接着他在同国家计委负责同志谈话时，深刻预见到，实现未来20年规划，“把科学技术工作和人才培养使用工作做好”是“最难的”，为此，“要开一条路出来，让有才能的人很快成长……人才不断涌出，我们的事业才有希望”。科技人才不足必然会影响现代化发展战略，这一点邓小平深有体会。20世纪80年代前后他多次提到，由于一段时间以来我们受“左”的思想干扰，“在能源、交通、城市建设等方面都欠账很多，特别是教育方面，损失最大，没培养出年轻的人才，科学研究也耽误了”，要“进行四个现代化建设”，“欠账要还，不解决这些方面的问题，想快也快不了”，必须“提高我国的科学技术水平，培养出数以亿计的各级各类人才”。

The need to ensure that China “always has a place” in the high-tech field. In the 1970s and 1980s, the competition among developed countries to seize the commanding heights of technology had become intense. High-tech strategies such as the US’s “High Frontier,” Western Europe’s “EUREKA Plan,” the Soviet and Eastern European “Comprehensive Program for Scientific and Technological Progress,” and Japan’s “Human Frontier Science Program” were successively proposed. Deng Xiaoping always paid attention to new developments in the world’s S&T field with a strategic vision. He pointed out that in this regard, “China cannot fall behind; it must always have a place.” Later, in his talks during his southern tour [n2], he reiterated this view and further pointed out that for China to have a place in the world’s high-tech field in the future, it needed to rely on the vast number of S&T workers to contribute to the country and win honor. Regarding the composition of scientists, he pointed out, “Older scientists and middle-aged scientists are very important, and young scientists are also very important.” This actually emphasized the need for a reasonable echelon structure for S&T talent to secure the talent guarantee for technological competition.

确保我国在高科技领域“始终占有一席之地”的需要。20世纪七八十年代，发达国家抢占科技制高点的角逐已呈白热化状态，美国的“高边疆”、西欧的“尤里卡计划”、苏东国家的“科学技术进步综合纲要”，以及日本的“人类科学新领域研究计划”等高科技战略相继提出。邓小平始终以战略眼光关注着世界科技领域的新进展，他指出，在这方面，“中国不能落后，必须始终占有一席之地”。后来在南方谈话中，他重申了这个观点，并进一步指出，中国在未来要想在世界的高科技领域占有一席之地，需要依靠广大科技工作者为国家作贡献、争荣誉。在科学家的构成方面，他指出，“老科学家、中年科学家很重要，青年科学家也很重要”，实际上也是强调科技人才要有合理的梯队结构，为科技竞争争取人才保障。

(2) Analyzing the Urgency of Cultivating S&T Talent

（二）分析了科技人才培养的紧迫性

In March 1978, at the opening ceremony of the National Science Conference, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “Due to the sabotage by Lin Biao and the ‘Gang of Four’ [n3], our S&T contingent has experienced a phenomenon of a gap between generations, which makes the task of accelerating the cultivation of a younger generation of S&T talent even more urgent.” Closely combining with the actual situation, he identified the problems and shortcomings in the cultivation of S&T talent: first, S&T talent was “insufficient”; second, improper use of S&T talent led to “waste”; third, there were “Left” prejudices against S&T workers in society.

1978 年3月，在全国科学大会开幕式上，邓小平指出：“由于林彪、‘四人帮’的破坏，我们的科学技术队伍发生了青黄不接的现象，这就使加速培养年轻一代的科学技术人才的任务更加迫切了。”他紧密结合实际情况，指明了科技人才培养方面存在的问题和不足：一是科技人才“不够用”，二是科技人才使用不当导致“浪费”，三是社会上对科技工作者存在“左”的偏见。

As early as 1954, at the 221st Government Affairs Council meeting, Deng Xiaoping pointed out that the prominent problem in national talent cultivation was that talent was “on the one hand insufficient, and on the other hand wasted.” By 1982, when discussing the issue of S&T talent, he reiterated, “Now, on the one hand, S&T personnel are very scarce, and on the other hand, there is a great deal of idle waste of talent.” The “scarcity” of talent fundamentally referred to the fact that the quantity of China’s S&T talent could not meet the needs of modernization. In May 1977, Deng Xiaoping compared the number of scientific researchers in the United States and the Soviet Union with that in China at the same time: the US had 1.2 million, the Soviet Union 900,000, while China had only over 200,000. The “idle waste” of talent referred to the fact that some departments did not use technical personnel properly, with situations where people were assigned jobs not matching their training or not utilizing their strengths. The “Left” prejudices against S&T workers in society were actually a deep-seated manifestation of the phenomena of talent being “very scarce” and “idle waste.” “Scarcity” and “idle waste” appeared on the surface to be issues of the management system and mechanisms, but in fact had profound political and social roots. Deng Xiaoping once regretfully pointed out that in the past, influenced by “Left” thinking, some people propagated the notion that “the more knowledge, the more reactionary,” proposed “preferring uneducated laborers” over those who had mastered rich cultural knowledge, and slandered them as bourgeois intellectuals; they advocated that “those who don’t read are ‘heroes’,” opposed students focusing on learning science and culture, considering this a manifestation of “putting intellectual education first,” and claimed that doing so meant “breaking away from proletarian politics.” As a result, “what suffered the greatest damage was education and science and technology. The damage to education was that people didn’t study, leaving the scientific research contingent without successors.” Deng Xiaoping also pointed out that science requires seeking truth from facts and honestly engaging in scholarship, but for a period, “due to the sabotage by the ‘Gang of Four,’ many problems emerged in the style of study, such as suppressing discussion, blocking information from each other, etc. We don’t have too many debates and discussions on differing opinions now; we have too few.” These problems seriously affected scientific research and technological progress, and there was an urgent need to make great efforts to solve them.

早在1954年政务院第221次政务会议上，邓小平就指出国家人才培养的突出问题是人才“一方面不够用，另一方面又有浪费”。到1982年，他谈到科技人才问题时重申，“现在科技人员一方面很缺，另一方面又有很大的窝工浪费”。人才“很缺”，从根本上来说，指的是我国科技人才的数量不能适应现代化建设需要。1977年5月，邓小平曾将同时期美国、苏联科研人员与我国科研人员数量进行了对比：美国120万，苏联90万，而我国仅20多万。人才“窝工浪费”，指的是有些部门对技术干部的使用不到位，存在用非所学、用非所长的情况。社会上对科技工作者存在“左”的偏见，实际上是人才“很缺”和“窝工浪费”现象的深层次体现。“很缺”和“窝工浪费”从表面上看是管理体制机制的问题，实则有着深刻的政治和社会根源。邓小平曾惋惜地指出，过去受“左”的思想影响，一些人渲染“知识越多越反动”的言论，提出“宁要没有文化的劳动者”，而不要那些掌握了丰富文化知识的人，并将他们污蔑为资产阶级的知识分子；宣扬“不读书的是‘英雄’”，反对学生以学习科学文化为主，认为这是“智育第一”的表现，这样做就是“脱离无产阶级政治”，结果使得“受破坏最大的是教育和科学技术。教育受到的破坏就是不读书，使科研队伍后继乏人”。邓小平还指出，科学需要实事求是、老老实实做学问，但一段时期以来，“由于‘四人帮’的破坏，在学风方面出了不少问题，例如压制讨论、互相封锁等。我们现在不同意见的争论、讨论不是太多了，而是太少了”。这些问题严重影响科研攻关和科技进步，迫切需要下大力气解决。

II. Breaking the Old and Establishing the New in the Concept of Cultivating S&T Talent

二、对科技人才培养观念进行破旧立新

Under the long-term influence of “Left” thinking, science and technology were endowed with class attributes, and naturally, there were conceptual prejudices against S&T talent. The vast number of intellectuals, including S&T workers, were not regarded as socialist laborers but were slandered as the “stinking ninth category” [n4]. To thoroughly eliminate these erroneous ideological understandings, Deng Xiaoping guided the work of breaking the old and establishing the new in talent cultivation. He repeatedly emphasized, “The reputation of intellectuals must be restored,” “S&T personnel should not feel dejected,” and “S&T personnel should be valued.”

在长期“左”的思想影响下，科技被赋予阶级属性，人们对科技人才当然也就存在观念上的偏见，包括科技工作者在内的广大知识分子并没有被作为社会主义劳动者来看待，而是被污蔑为“臭老九”。为了彻底清除这些错误思想认识，邓小平指导开启了人才培养工作的破旧立新。他反复强调，“知识分子的名誉要恢复”，“科技人员不要灰溜溜的”，“科技人员应当受到重视”。

(1) Proposing that Science and Technology Themselves Do Not Have Class Attributes, and Clarifying that Intellectuals Are “a Part of the Working Class Itself”

（一）提出科学技术本身不具有阶级属性，明确知识分子是“工人阶级自己的一部分”

Deng Xiaoping put forward the thesis that “science and technology are the primary productive forces,” which helped people break free from outdated thinking and laid a theoretical premise for accelerating the cultivation of scientific and technological talents in the new period. Starting from the basic viewpoints of Marxism, he pointed out that labor power is one of the basic elements of the productive forces, and that “only when workers possess a relatively high level of scientific and cultural knowledge, rich production experience, and advanced labor skills can they play a greater role in modernized production.” He creatively stated that “science and technology themselves have no class character; capitalists use them to serve capitalism, and socialist countries use them to serve socialism.” Deng Xiaoping’s thesis that “science and technology are the primary productive forces” was linked to the political characterization of scientific and technological workers. While putting forward this new thesis, he guided people to correctly treat mental workers engaged in scientific research, to “remove the labels” from scientific and technological workers, and stressed that “to achieve the four modernizations and greatly develop our productive forces, we certainly cannot but vigorously develop scientific research and science education, and vigorously promote the revolutionary enthusiasm of scientific and technological workers and educators.” From this it can be seen that vigorously cultivating scientific and technological talents conforms to the basic principles of Marxism, and that scientific and technological talents are an important support for developing the productive forces. As early as September 1975, when listening to a work report from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “Are scientific and technological personnel workers? Science and technology are called productive forces, so scientific and technological personnel are workers!” At the opening ceremony of the National Science Conference in 1978, he again stressed that in socialist society, the mental workers trained by the working class itself are different from the intellectuals in exploiting societies; “the vast majority of them are already intellectuals of the working class and the working people themselves, and therefore it can be said that they are already a part of the working class.” The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, adopted in 1982, listed intellectuals alongside workers and peasants as “socialist workers,” which undoubtedly gave scientific and technological personnel political reassurance.

邓小平提出“科学技术是第一生产力”的论断，有助于人们打破陈旧思维的束缚，为新时期加快科技人才培养奠定了理论前提。他从马克思主义基本观点出发，指出劳动力是生产力的基本要素之一，“劳动者只有具备较高的科学文化水平，丰富的生产经验，先进的劳动技能，才能在现代化的生产中发挥更大的作用”。他创造性提出，“科学技术本身是没有阶级性的，资本家拿来为资本主义服务，社会主义国家拿来为社会主义服务”。邓小平关于“科学技术是第一生产力”的论断和对科技工作者的政治定性是联系在一起的，在提出新论断的同时，他引导人们正确对待从事科学研究的脑力劳动者，为科技工作者“摘帽”，强调我们要“实现四个现代化，大大发展我们的生产力，当然就不能不大力发展科学研究事业和科学教育事业，大力发扬科学技术工作者和教育工作者的革命积极性”。从中可以看到，大力培养科技人才是符合马克思主义基本原理的，科技人才是发展生产力的重要支撑。早在1975年9月，邓小平在听取中国科学院工作汇报时就指出：“科技人员是不是劳动者？科学技术叫生产力，科技人员就是劳动者！”在1978年全国科学大会开幕式上，他再次强调，在社会主义社会由工人阶级自己培养的脑力劳动者与剥削社会中的知识分子已有所不同，“他们的绝大多数已经是工人阶级和劳动人民自己的知识分子，因此也可以说，已经是工人阶级自己的一部分”。1982年通过的《中华人民共和国宪法》，将知识分子与工人、农民并列作为“社会主义劳动者”，这无疑在政治上让科技人员吃了定心丸。

(II) Correctly Interpreting Being Both Red and Expert

（二）正确阐释又红又专

For a long period before reform and opening up, there existed in society the erroneous perception that “the more knowledge one has, the more reactionary one becomes,” leading to a one-sided understanding of the issues of “red” and “expert.” Scientific and technological personnel who had made mistakes in history or came from families with poor class backgrounds were politically negated outright; even those who had made important contributions to the country’s scientific and technological endeavors were sometimes slandered as models of “white expert.” Conversely, individual cases of handing in blank examination papers were held up as models of “red expert.” This atmosphere of confusing right and wrong, black and white, was extremely detrimental to talent cultivation. To this end, Deng Xiaoping proposed: “We must have a correct understanding and reasonable requirements for being both red and expert.”

改革开放前很长一段时间里，社会上存在着“知识越多越反动”的错误认知，导致人们在“红”“专”问题上理解片面，对于曾经在历史上犯过错误或者家庭成分不好的科技人员，政治上给予全面否定，即便那些曾经为国家科学技术事业作出过重要贡献的人才，有的也被污蔑成“白专”典型；相反，个别交白卷的案例却被树立为“红专”典型，这种颠倒是非与黑白的氛围，对人才培养是非常不利的。为此，邓小平提出：“对又红又专要有正确的理解，合理的要求。”

First, Deng Xiaoping redefined the connotation of “red,” holding that whether scientific and technological personnel were “red” or not should be judged by “their basic political attitude, their actual performance, and their contributions to the socialist revolution and socialist construction.” According to this standard, he affirmed that the “red” line had dominated the scientific, educational, and technological fronts after the founding of New China, because “the vast majority of scientific and technological personnel love the Party and socialism, strive to integrate with workers, peasants, and soldiers, and treat their own scientific and technological work with full enthusiasm, achieving results.” Second, on the issue of “expert,” Deng Xiaoping believed it was very important to ensure that scientific research personnel had sufficient professional time. He pointed out that “scientific and technological personnel should devote their greatest energy to scientific and technological work,” and that “only by throwing oneself wholeheartedly into it, concentrating, striving for perfection, fearing no hardship, and persevering unswervingly, can one possibly scale the heights of science.” Finally, on the relationship between “red” and “expert,” Deng Xiaoping believed that “being expert does not necessarily mean being red, but being red necessarily requires being expert.” Because if one is not expert and gives arbitrary orders, it will harm the interests of the people and delay the cause of socialist construction, and then one cannot be considered “red.” This reinterpretation of the relationship between the two helped to change the long-standing phenomenon of overemphasizing “red” while downplaying “expert.” On this basis, he proposed: “To march toward the modernization of science and technology, we need a mighty army of scientific and technological workers who are both red and expert and belong to the working class, and we need a large number of world-class scientists and engineering experts.” This clearly answered the fundamental question of what kind of scientific and technological talents we should cultivate in the new period.

首先，邓小平对“红”的内涵进行重新界定，认为科技人员“红”与不“红”，要“看他们自己的基本政治态度，看他们自己的现实表现，看他们对社会主义革命、社会主义建设所作的贡献”。按照这个标准，他肯定了新中国成立以后科技和教育战线中占据主导地位的还是“红”线，因为“绝大多数科学技术人员热爱党、热爱社会主义，努力同工农兵相结合，满腔热情地对待自己从事的科学技术工作，做出了成绩”。其次，在“专”的问题上，邓小平认为，保证科研人员有足够的业务时间非常重要。他指出，“科学技术人员应当把最大的精力放到科学技术工作上去”，“只有把全副身心投入进去，专心致志，精益求精，不畏劳苦，百折不回，才有可能攀登科学高峰”。最后，在“红”“专”关系问题上，邓小平认为，“专并不等于红，但是红一定要专”。因为如果没有做到专，瞎指挥，就会有损于人民的利益，耽误社会主义的建设事业，就谈不上“红”。对二者关系的重新阐释，有助于改变长期以来过分强调“红”而弱化“专”的现象。在此基础上，他提出：“我们向科学技术现代化进军，要有一支浩浩荡荡的工人阶级的又红又专的科学技术大军，要有一大批世界第一流的科学家、工程技术专家。”这就明确回答了新时期我们要“培养什么样的科技人才”这个根本问题。

III. Highlighting the Important Position of Education in Cultivating Scientific and Technological Talents

三、突出教育在科技人才培养中的重要地位

Deng Xiaoping considered the issues of science, technology, and education from a strategic height, clearly stating that “the foundation for cultivating scientific and technological talents lies in education.” Facing the reality that China’s scientific and technological strength was still very weak at the time, Deng Xiaoping repeatedly stressed: “To achieve modernization, the key is that science and technology must be developed. To develop science and technology, we must grasp education.” “To grasp science and technology, we must simultaneously grasp education.” He demanded the comprehensive implementation of the Party’s education policy, the carrying out of education reform, and the comprehensive improvement of the quality of scientific and technological talent cultivation through vigorously developing the education cause.

邓小平从战略高度考虑科技与教育问题，明确提出“科学技术人才的培养，基础在教育”。面对当时我国科学技术力量还很薄弱的实际，邓小平反复强调：“我们要实现现代化，关键是科学技术要能上去。发展科学技术，不抓教育不行。”“抓科技必须同时抓教育。”他要求全面贯彻执行党的教育方针，开展好教育改革，通过大力发展教育事业，全面提升科技人才培养质量。

(I) Restoring the College Entrance Examination System to Promote the Rational Selection of Scientific and Technological Talents

（一）恢复高校招生考试制度，促进科技人才的合理选拔

Higher education is an important channel for independently cultivating scientific and technological talents, and college enrollment is a key link in ensuring the effectiveness of higher education. Deng Xiaoping fully recognized this. He regarded restoring the college entrance examination system as an important method for selecting scientific and technological talents, demanding that colleges and universities “make up their minds to restore direct recruitment of students from high school graduates in 1977, and stop using mass recommendation,” so as to “produce talents and results early.”

高等教育是自主培养科技人才的重要途径，高校招生是保障高等教育培养效果的关键环节。邓小平对此有着充分认知，他把恢复高校招生考试制度作为选拔科技人才的重要方法，要求高等院校1977年“就要下决心恢复从高中毕业生中直接招考学生，不要再搞群众推荐”，以“早出人才、早出成果”。

On the issue of student sources, on September 6, 1977, Deng Xiaoping mentioned that according to investigations, “the best high school graduates in Beijing’s best middle schools now have only the level of the first year of junior high school in the past (especially in mathematics).” Therefore, he believed that at the beginning of the restoration of the college entrance examination, “at least 80 percent of college students must be recruited from society to ensure quality.” On the method of enrollment, Deng Xiaoping believed that it was necessary to be flexible and not stick to one pattern; as long as examinees could answer the questions, “they do not necessarily have to enter the first year; they can enter the second, third, or fourth year, and some can even become graduate students.” To this end, in 1978, the state proposed that enrollment work should break conventions to select talents, stipulating that high school students who excelled in subject competitions, mainly in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, could enter university without taking the college entrance examination, with the focus on scientific and technological talents. This enrollment system later developed into the policy of recommending students for admission without examination. In terms of enrollment numbers, Deng Xiaoping proposed to “greatly increase” the number of college students, and also to optimize the structure and proportion of university majors according to social structure and needs. Driven by Deng Xiaoping, many people with research potential were admitted to universities or graduate programs, and they later became the backbone of the scientific and technological workforce.

在生源问题上，1977年9月6日，邓小平提到，据调查，“现在北京最好中学的高中毕业生，只有过去初中一年级的水平（特别是数学）”，因此，他认为，恢复高考之初，“至少百分之八十的大学生，须在社会上招考，才能保证质量”。在招生方式上，邓小平认为，要做到不拘一格，只要考生能够答得出来，“就不一定上一年级，可以上二年级、三年级、四年级，有的甚至可以当研究生”。为此，1978年国家提出招生工作要打破常规选人才，规定高中生在学科竞赛中特别优秀的可以不参加高考进入大学，这些竞赛主要涉及数理化，针对重点是科技类人才，这种招生制度后来发展成为保送生政策。招生人数方面，邓小平提出要“大量增加”大学生人数，还要根据社会结构与需求，优化大学招生专业的结构与比例。在邓小平的推动下，许多有科研潜力的人考上了大学或研究生，他们后来成为科技队伍的骨干力量。

The restoration of the college entrance examination system brought a new atmosphere to the cultivation of scientific and technological talents, to the extent that the slogan “Learn mathematics, physics, and chemistry well, and you will have no fear traveling anywhere in the world” became popular in society. This was because mathematics, physics, and chemistry were basic disciplines closely linked to China’s industrialization and technological development, and students majoring in these fields were the reserve force of scientific and technological talents urgently needed for socialist modernization.

恢复高校招生考试制度给科技人才培养工作带来了新气象，以至于社会上流传着“学好数理化，走遍天下都不怕”的口号，因为数理化是与我国工业化、技术发展密切相连的基础学科，数理化相关专业的学生是社会主义现代化建设亟需的科技人才的后备军。

(II) Handling the Relationship between Improvement and Popularization, and Perfecting the Support System for Cultivating Scientific and Technological Talents

（二）处理好提高与普及的关系，完善科技人才培养的支持系统

Deng Xiaoping believed that “colleges and universities, especially key ones, should be an important contingent in scientific research.” At the same time, he did not focus solely on higher education but also attached importance to the supporting role of popular education, putting forward the requirement to properly handle the relationship between “improvement” and “popularization” in cultivating scientific and technological talents.

邓小平认为，“高等院校，特别是重点高等院校，应当是科研的一个重要方面军”。同时，他并不是只将目光聚焦于高等教育，而是同样重视发挥普及教育的支撑作用，提出了处理好科技人才培养的“提高”与“普及”的关系的要求。

As early as 1958, when the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee discussed educational work, Deng Xiaoping stated: “The main problem to be solved in education at present is the question of popularization and improvement. Our policy is, first, to popularize, and second, to improve; neither can be neglected.” “Improvement” mainly referred to higher education, while “popularization” mainly referred to basic education in primary and secondary schools, including vocational education. Popularizing education could raise the scientific and cultural level of the Chinese people and promote a greater number of inventions and creations. In 1977, when Deng Xiaoping reviewed and revised the draft of the Party Central Committee’s “Notice on Convening the National Science Conference,” he specifically added the sentence: “Primary schools, secondary schools, and colleges and universities are important foundations for cultivating scientific and technological personnel.” Regarding primary education, Deng Xiaoping pointed out, “If we do not grasp scientific research, it will not do to neglect education; we must start with primary education,” because sustainable talent cultivation requires a long cycle. He observed that “workers in the Federal Republic of Germany and Japan must at least have a senior high school education, and a relatively good one at that, in order to master technology.” Therefore, he proposed that in training personnel, “not only must management personnel be qualified, but workers must also be qualified,” and that people who do not understand technology should not be allowed to run enterprises; “workers themselves must also become knowledgeable.” This in fact set requirements for secondary education and vocational education.

早在1958年中央书记处会议讨论教育工作时，邓小平就提出：“目前教育方面要解决的问题，主要是普及与提高的问题。我们的方针是，一要普及，二要提高，两者不能偏废。”“提高”主要指的是高等教育，“普及”主要指中小学的基础教育，也包括职业教育。普及教育能够提高我国人民的科学文化水平，推动各种发明创造多起来。1977年邓小平在审改中共中央《关于召开全国科学大会的通知》稿时，特地加写了“小学、中学、大专学校是培养科学技术人才的重要基础”。针对小学教育，邓小平指出，“抓科研不抓教育不行，要从小学教育抓起”，因为可持续的人才培养需要很长周期。他观察到，“联邦德国、日本工人起码要高中文化程度，而且是比较好的，这样才能掌握技术”，因此，他提出培训人才，“不但管理人员要合格，就是工人也要合格的”，不能够让不懂技术的人搞企业，“工人本身也要知识化”。这其实对中学和职业教育提出了要求。

(3) Emphasizing the Fundamental Role of Teachers and Teaching Materials in the Cultivation of Scientific and Technological Talents

（三）注重教师和教材在科技人才培养方面的基础性作用

The cultivation of scientific and technological talents cannot be separated from teachers. Deng Xiaoping believed that teachers were the key to cultivating qualified personnel for the cause of socialist construction and enabling students to become future laborers with socialist consciousness and a relatively high cultural level. He pointed out: “Scientific research relies on education to supply personnel”; “We should place those engaged in educational work on an equal footing with those engaged in scientific research, so that they receive the same respect and the same attention.” Teaching materials were also a concern for Deng Xiaoping. At the beginning of reform and opening up, there was a shortage of teaching materials that met the needs of the new era, especially textbooks for basic disciplines related to science and technology and textbooks in the natural sciences, which were extremely scarce. To this end, Deng Xiaoping, on the one hand, demanded the strengthening of independent compilation, organizing a “very strong team” to compile various types of teaching materials for universities, secondary schools, and primary schools. On the other hand, he broke free from previous constraints and considered introducing high-quality teaching materials from abroad. In August 1978, Deng Xiaoping approved the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “Report on Responding to the Four Suggestions Proposed by Qian Ning.” The report mentioned the need to “plan to purchase and collect university and secondary school teaching materials… and promptly purchase a batch of instructional films for basic courses in mathematics, physics, and chemistry for universities and secondary schools.” After these teaching materials were introduced into China, he emphasized using them as a reference and “compiling new teaching materials based on our actual conditions.”

科技人才的培养离不开教师。邓小平认为，培育社会主义建设事业的合格人才，让学生成为未来有社会主义觉悟和具有较高文化水平的劳动者，教师是关键。他指出：“科研是靠教育输送人才的”，“我们要把从事教育工作的与从事科研工作的放到同等重要的地位，使他们受到同样的尊重，同样的重视”。教材也是邓小平关心的问题。改革开放之初，符合新时期需求的教材短缺，尤其涉及科技方面的基础学科类教材、自然科学类教材极为缺乏。为此，邓小平一方面要求加强自主编写，组织起一个“很强的班子”编写各类大中小学教材。另一方面，他跳出以前的各种条条框框，考虑从国外引进优质教材。1978年8月，邓小平批复同意教育部、外交部《关于答复钱宁提出的四条建议的请示报告》，《请示报告》中提到，要“有计划地购买和收集大学、中学的教材……尽快购买一批大、中学数、理、化基础课的教学影片”。这些教材引进国内后，他强调要以此为借鉴，“结合我们的实际编出新的教材”。

4. Reforming the Systems and Mechanisms for Cultivating Scientific and Technological Talents

四、改革科技人才培养体制机制

Sound systems and mechanisms are important guarantees for the growth and development of scientific and technological talents. Deng Xiaoping believed that under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party, the selection mechanisms for outstanding talents and various management systems should be continuously improved to better promote the cultivation of scientific and technological talents.

健全的体制机制是实现科技人才成长成才的重要保障。邓小平认为，要在党的集中统一领导下，不断完善杰出人才的遴选机制和各类管理体制，以更好促进科技人才培养。

(1) Strengthening and Improving the Party’s Leadership over the Scientific Research Field

（一）加强和改善党对科研领域的领导

At the beginning of reform and opening up, in order to completely eliminate the influence of decentralism in the scientific research system caused by the “Cultural Revolution,” Deng Xiaoping attached great importance to strengthening and improving the Party’s leadership over the scientific research field. In December 1979, Nie Rongzhen mentioned in a letter to Deng Xiaoping that various departments in the current scientific research system had formed their own systems with dispersed forces, and proposed strengthening the unified leadership of the State Science and Technology Commission. Deng Xiaoping commented: “I fully agree with your opinion… We cannot have too many concerns; once a decision is made, it must be resolutely implemented.” On the issue of cultivating scientific and technological talents, Deng Xiaoping regarded the Party’s leadership as an important manifestation of the superiority of the socialist system. He believed that by having our Party rationally organize scientific and technological personnel, even if our researchers were “few in number, they could accomplish more and achieve greater results than an equivalent number of people in capitalist countries.” Strengthening the Party’s leadership over the scientific research field did not mean that Party committees should take over all work, but rather that the division of responsibilities should be implemented, with clear duties and rewards and punishments, thereby improving efficiency. Regarding the connotation and function of Party committee leadership, Deng Xiaoping summarized it at the opening ceremony of the National Science Conference as “mainly political leadership, ensuring the correct political direction, ensuring the implementation of the Party’s line, principles, and policies, and mobilizing the enthusiasm of all aspects.” In addition, Deng Xiaoping adhered to a pragmatic work style and principle, believing that the quality of Party committee leadership was judged by whether it could cultivate talent. He stated from the negative side that if “there are no achievements, no talent, and no enthusiasm for serving science, it shows that the Party committee is not good at leadership and is leading poorly.”

改革开放初期，为了彻底消除“文化大革命”造成的科研系统分散主义影响，邓小平高度重视加强和改善党对科研领域的领导。1979年12月，聂荣臻在给邓小平的信件中提到，当前科研系统各部门存在自成体系力量分散的问题，提议加强国家科委统一领导。邓小平批示指出：“我完全赞成你的意见……不能顾虑太多，一经决定，坚决贯彻执行”。在科技人才培养问题上，邓小平把党的领导作为社会主义制度优越性的重要体现，认为由我们党将科技人才合理地组织起来，即使我们的科研人员“人数少，也可以比资本主义国家同等数量的人办更多的事，取得更大的成就”。加强党对科研领域的领导，不是说党委包揽所有工作，而是要落实好分工负责制，做到职责清晰、赏罚分明，从而提升效率。关于党委领导的内涵与功能，邓小平在全国科学大会开幕式上将其总结为“主要是政治上的领导，保证正确的政治方向，保证党的路线、方针、政策的贯彻，调动各个方面的积极性”。此外，邓小平坚持务实的工作作风与原则，认为党委领导得好不好关键看能不能培养出人才来，他从反面指出，如果“不出成绩，不出人才，不热心为科学服务，就说明党委不善于领导，领导得不好”。

(2) Forming a Cultivation System That Allows Outstanding Scientific and Technological Talents to Stand Out

（二）形成能够让杰出科技人才脱颖而出的培养制度

The selection and cultivation of scientific and technological talents must have corresponding institutional guarantees. Deng Xiaoping vigorously promoted the formation of a system that allows outstanding scientific and technological talents to stand out. First, break conventional thinking in cultivating scientific and technological talents. At the opening ceremony of the 1978 National Science Conference, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “We must break conventions to discover, select, and cultivate outstanding talents.” At the 1985 National Science and Technology Work Conference, he further emphasized: “We must create an environment in which top-notch talents can stand out. Reform is precisely about creating this environment.” At that time, many scientific and technological talents were buried in the traditional cultivation system because they were not Party members, or had low educational backgrounds or shallow seniority. This required abandoning inherent and outdated views and using institutional innovation to identify, cherish, and employ talent. Second, establish a degree and technical title evaluation system to discover outstanding young scientific and technological talents. Deng Xiaoping noted that those who made outstanding contributions in the scientific field were often middle-aged and young people. To this end, he proposed: “As long as our scientific workers have made contributions and meet the standards of researcher or professor, even if they are only thirty years old, they should be promoted to the positions of researcher and professor and given corresponding degrees and technical titles”; “The degree system and the technical title evaluation system should be established as soon as possible.” Establishing and improving such a system could change the phenomenon of seniority-based promotion and promptly discover and cultivate outstanding young scientific and technical workers. Third, establish postdoctoral mobile stations to cultivate and utilize high-level talent. The establishment of postdoctoral mobile stations was initially proposed to Deng Xiaoping by Chinese-American scientist Tsung-Dao Lee, mainly for the continuous growth of urgently needed doctoral graduates in high-tech fields, and also to prevent the loss of talent, especially overseas-returned doctoral graduates. Deng Xiaoping agreed after hearing this, pointing out that “hundreds and thousands of mobile stations should be established as a system.” In 1985, China formally established the postdoctoral system, which opened a green channel for the country’s high-level scientific and technological talents and promoted their cultivation and utilization. Fourth, establish a competition system to select outstanding talents. In July 1978, when reviewing the Ministry of Education’s “Summary Report on the 1978 National Middle School Mathematics Competition in Some Provinces and Cities,” Deng Xiaoping commented: “Agree with the opinions in the report. Please have the Ministry of Education study and handle it.” The report mentioned that the competition system should be implemented according to regulations. It suggested that education departments study how to accelerate talent cultivation through mathematics competitions. Deng Xiaoping also proposed that “competitions can also be held in physics and chemistry.” The implementation of relevant systems allowed a large number of young outstanding talents with potential for scientific and technological work to stand out and receive more specialized training.

科技人才的选拔培养，必须有相应的制度保障。邓小平大力推动形成让杰出科技人才脱颖而出的体制。第一，打破常规思维培养科技人才。在1978年的全国科学大会开幕式上，邓小平就指出：“必须打破常规去发现、选拔和培养杰出的人才。”在1985年的全国科技工作会议上，他进一步强调：“要创造一种环境，使拔尖人才能够脱颖而出。改革就是要创造这种环境。”当时有不少科技人才因为非党员身份，或学历不高或资历不深，在传统培养体系中被埋没。这就必须摒弃固有守旧观点，以制度创新识才爱才用才。第二，建立学位和技术职称评定制度，发现优秀的年轻科技人才。邓小平注意到，在科学领域里作出杰出贡献的往往是中年人和青年人。为此，他提出：“我们的科学工作者，只要做出了贡献，符合研究员、教授的标准，哪怕只有三十岁，也要把他们提拔到研究员和教授的岗位上，给予应有的学位和技术职称”，“要把学位制度和技术职称评定制度赶快建立起来”。建立完善这样的制度，可以改变论资排辈的现象，及时发现和培养优秀的年轻科技工作者。第三，设立博士后流动站培养与使用高级人才。设立博士后流动站最初是由美籍华人科学家李政道向邓小平提议的，主要是为了高科技领域紧缺型博士毕业生的持续成长，同时也是防止人才尤其是海外归国博士流失。邓小平听后很赞成，指出要“建立成百成千的流动站，成为制度”。1985年我国正式设立博士后制度，这一制度为国家高层次科技人才开辟了一条绿色通道，促进了对他们的培养与使用。第四，建立竞赛制度选拔优秀人才。1978年7月，邓小平在审阅教育部《关于一九七八年全国部分省市中学数学竞赛的总结报告》时作出批示：“同意报告所提意见。请教育部研究办理。”《报告》中提到，竞赛制度应坚持按规定执行。建议教育部门研究如何通过数学竞赛加速培养人才的问题。邓小平还提议，“物理、化学也可以搞竞赛”。相关制度的落实，让一大批具有科技工作潜质的年轻优秀人才脱颖而出并得到了更为专业化的培养。

(3) Emphasizing the Improvement of the Management System to Promote the Cultivation of Scientific and Technological Talents

（三）注重完善管理体制促进科技人才培养

To better leverage the subjective initiative of scientific and technological talents, an effective management system is indispensable. To this end, Deng Xiaoping advocated reforming the management system for scientific and technological talents, “fully mobilizing the enthusiasm of employees, including management personnel, and cultivating and selecting talents in science and technology, management, and other fields.”

要更好发挥科技人才的主观能动性，离不开有效的管理制度。为此，邓小平主张改革科技人才管理体制，“充分调动职工包括管理人员的积极性，培养和选拔科学技术和管理等各方面的人才”。

Specifically, the first measure was to establish a talent evaluation system oriented toward actual contributions. Deng Xiaoping proposed, “Research institutes must establish research order, set quotas, conduct assessments, and have a淘汰 system.” [10]10 The Chinese term 淘汰 (táotài) literally means “elimination” or “weeding out.” In the context of a research institute evaluation system, it refers to a mechanism for dismissing or removing underperforming personnel. The content of assessments was to focus mainly on the scientific and technical workers’ abilities and achievements, not their seniority. Assessment results were to be treated by category: those with major contributions were to receive higher technical titles and improved treatment. The second measure was to strengthen logistical management and service guarantees. Deng Xiaoping believed that “the task of logistical work is to serve scientific research work and educational work, and to create conditions for scientific researchers and educators so that they can concentrate on engaging in scientific research and education.” He demanded that logistical work solve the issues that scientific and technical personnel were most concerned about and eagerly anticipated, for example, providing conditions for key professional staff separated from their spouses, building more dormitories to resolve the separation problem; increasing funding for scientific research and education, gradually improving conditions where they had been poor; running libraries well, purchasing and supplying instruments, experimental equipment, and running canteens and nurseries properly; and so on. The third measure was to cultivate management talent. In Deng Xiaoping’s view, management was also a science, and the level of management was closely related to management talent. He pointed out that what we lacked at present was technical talent, but we also “particularly lack management talent; we must not only learn the technology of advanced countries, but also learn management knowledge.”

具体来说，一是建立以实际贡献为导向的人才评价体制。邓小平提出，“研究所要建立研究秩序，要搞定额，搞考核，要有淘汰制度”。考核内容主要看科技工作者的能力、成绩，而不是资历。对考核结果要分类对待，贡献大的要提高技术职称、提升待遇。二是加强后勤管理和服务保障。邓小平认为，“后勤工作的任务，就是要为科研工作、教育工作服务，要为科研工作者和教育工作者创造条件，使他们能够专心致志地从事科研、教育工作”。他要求后勤工作解决好科技人才最关心和期盼的问题，例如，要为两地分居的业务骨干提供条件，多修建些宿舍解决分居问题；要增加科研教育经费，原来条件差的要逐步改善；要搞好图书馆，购置和供应器材、实验设备，办好食堂和托儿所；等等。三是培养管理人才。在邓小平看来，管理也是科学，管理水平的高低，和管理人才密切相关。他指出，我们现在缺乏的是技术人才，但是我们也“特别缺乏管理人才，我们不仅要学习先进国家的一些技术，管理知识也要学习”。

V. The cultivation of scientific and technological talent must focus on utilizing positive foreign factors

五、科技人才培养要注重利用国外积极因素

In the early period of reform and opening up, faced with the situation where some Western countries were very strict about restricting technology transfer to China, Deng Xiaoping emphasized: “Chairman Mao proposed self-reliance as the mainstay, and this has always been our fundamental principle. Without our own efforts, many problems cannot be solved.” But at the same time, he was well aware that in order to accelerate China’s scientific and technological development, it was necessary to make full use of positive foreign factors. In the 1970s, Sino-American relations began to move toward normalization. In July 1978, when meeting with a U.S. science and technology delegation, Deng Xiaoping stressed the need to strengthen scientific and technological exchanges between China and the United States. China was not only willing to absorb American technology, but also hoped to cultivate our scientific and technological talent by sending students abroad and using American conditions. Deng Xiaoping repeatedly stressed: “Our policy of introducing advanced foreign technology and absorbing foreign capital will not change”; “We are willing to absorb any advanced things we need, provided the conditions are suitable.” He focused on gradually aligning the cultivation of China’s scientific and technological talent with international standards, and by increasing exchanges with countries possessing high-level science and technology in the world, absorbing their advanced experience, and accelerating the process of cultivating China’s scientific and technological talent.

改革开放初期，面对一些西方国家对中国引进技术卡得很紧的现状，邓小平强调：“毛主席提出以自力更生为主，这始终是我们的根本原则。不靠自己努力，许多问题都解决不了。”但同时他也深知，为了加快我国科技发展，必须充分利用国外积极因素。20世纪70年代，中美关系开始走向正常化。1978年7月，邓小平在会见美国科技代表团时，强调要加强中美之间的科学技术交流，中国不仅愿意吸收美国的技术，而且希望通过派遣留学生，用美国的条件培养我们的科技人才。邓小平多次强调：“我们引进外国先进技术和吸收外国资金的方针不会变”，“凡是我们需要的先进的东西，条件适合的，我们都愿意吸收”。他注重将我国科技人才培养逐步与世界接轨，通过增进与世界上高科技水平国家之间的交往，吸收他们的先进经验，加快我国科技人才培养的进程。

(i) Accelerating the cultivation of scientific and technological talent through international exchanges

（一）在国际交流中加快科技人才培养

Deng Xiaoping hoped that China would actively integrate into the world’s educational and scientific communities, with the aim of improving the quality of China’s scientific and technological talent through various exchanges. To this end, he actively created platforms for scientific and technical personnel to integrate into the world. In April 1978, he approved the “Request for Instructions on Establishing the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO” submitted by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The establishment of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO provided an important platform for exchanges between Chinese and foreign scientific and technological talent. Deng Xiaoping also valued and promoted the establishment of mechanisms for scientific and technological exchange and cooperation with other countries, personally attending signing ceremonies for science and technology cooperation agreements and holding talks with leaders of those countries on issues of scientific and technological cooperation. For example, in January 1978, during talks with the French Prime Minister, he pointed out that China and France should actively develop scientific and technological exchanges; at the subsequent signing ceremony for the Sino-French government agreement on science and technology, he stated: “We advocate promoting scientific, technological, and cultural exchanges with foreign countries, precisely to learn from each other’s strengths to offset weaknesses and to learn from one another.” The agreement stipulated the mutual dispatch of scientific and technological delegations, and the exchange of scholars, researchers, experts, and so on. In January 1979, at the signing ceremony for the Sino-U.S. Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology and the Cultural Agreement, he highly praised the signing of the agreements as “a meaningful task” and expressed hope for future cooperation between the two countries in more fields. The Sino-U.S. Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology mainly covered agriculture, energy, health, environment, and other areas, including the exchange of scientists, scholars, experts, and students, and the organization of joint training courses, conferences, and seminars.

邓小平希望我国积极融入世界教育和科技界，以期在各种交流中提升我国科技人才质量。为此，他积极为科技人员融入世界创造平台。1978年4月，他审批同意了教育部、外交部《关于成立中国联合国教科文组织全国委员会的请示》。中国联合国教科文组织全国委员会的成立，为中外科技人才交流提供了重要平台。邓小平还重视并推动与其他国家建立科技交流合作机制，亲自出席科技合作签字仪式，并和这些国家领导人就科技合作问题进行会谈。例如，1978年1月，他与法国总理会谈时指出，中法两国之间要积极发展科学技术的交流；在随后出席中法两国政府科学技术协定签字仪式时又指出：“我们主张促进同外国的科学、技术、文化交流，就是要取长补短，相互学习。”该协定规定了两国相互派遣科学技术代表团，互派学者、研究人员、专家等内容。1979年1月，他在出席中美科学技术合作协定和文化协定签字仪式上高度评价协议签订是“一项有意义的工作”，并希望未来两国在更多领域开展合作。中美科学技术合作协定主要涉及农业、能源、卫生、环境等方面，包括互派科学家、学者、专家和留学生，组织联合训练班、会议和讨论会等内容。

Furthermore, Deng Xiaoping encouraged China’s scientific and technical workers to carry out cooperative research with scientific teams from other countries, learning knowledge and exercising abilities through cooperation. For example, in October 1977, he approved a proposal allowing Chinese scientific researchers to work together with foreign researchers abroad and to co-author and publish scientific results. In 1986, after learning of the establishment of the “International Centre for Scientific Culture – World Laboratory,” Deng Xiaoping strongly supported Chinese scientific and technical personnel joining it. During a conversation with its main founders, he pointed out: “China is a third-world country; China’s scientific and technical personnel should actively participate in the work of this World Laboratory.”

此外，邓小平鼓励我国科技工作者与其他国家的科技团队开展合作研究，在合作中学习知识、锻炼能力。例如，1977年10月，他批示同意中国科研人员在国外可以同别国科研人员一起工作、联名发表科研成果。1986年，在了解到“国际科学文化中心——世界实验室”成立后，邓小平大力支持中国科技人员加入其中，他在同主要发起者交谈时指出：“中国是第三世界国家，中国的科学技术人员要积极参加这个世界实验室的工作。”

(ii) Sending large numbers of students abroad in the fields of science and technology and encouraging them to return after completing their studies

（二）向国外大量派遣科技领域的留学生并鼓励学成回国

In order to accelerate the cultivation of scientific and technological talent and absorb advanced foreign science and technology, on June 23, 1978, Deng Xiaoping stressed on the issue of sending students abroad that, in terms of quantity, “we must send them by the thousands and tens of thousands, not just ten or eight… spending a bit more money on this is worthwhile”; in terms of direction, we should mainly send “those who do well in the examinations” in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and “send them abroad mainly to study the natural sciences.” The methods of funding for studying abroad also gradually ceased to be limited to government-sponsored study. In September 1978, in response to a suggestion to allow Chinese citizens to study in the United States at their own expense, Deng Xiaoping gave instructions: “The General Office of the State Council should discuss this with the relevant units for handling; the request as proposed seems acceptable.” Later, after communication and research among multiple departments, in January 1981, the State Council approved and transmitted the “Request for Instructions on Studying Abroad at One’s Own Expense” and the “Provisional Regulations on Studying Abroad at One’s Own Expense” from the Ministry of Education and six other departments. The regulations explicitly required relevant units to assist applicants for self-funded study abroad in providing documents such as academic credentials and transcripts; issues of salary and length of service during the study period were to be treated the same as for in-service employees attending domestic universities or pursuing graduate studies; and our embassies and consulates abroad were to strengthen contact with and the educational management of students abroad. These measures provided convenience for self-funded students, eliminated their concerns, and helped expand the scale of the student population abroad.

为加快科技人才培养，吸取国外先进科学技术，1978年6月23日，邓小平就派遣留学生问题强调，数量上“要成千上万地派，不是只派十个八个……在这方面多花些钱，是值得的”；方向上，主要把数理化方面“考得好的派出去”，“派出去主要学习自然科学”。出国留学资助方式也逐渐不再限于公费留学。1978年9月，针对允许中国公民自费到美国留学的建议，邓小平作出批示：“国务院办公室商同有关单位处理，所提要求似可同意。”后经过多部门沟通与研究，1981年1月，国务院批转教育部等七个部门《关于自费出国留学的请示》和《关于自费出国留学的暂行规定》，在规定中明确要求有关单位应协助申请自费出国留学人员提供学历证明、成绩单等材料；留学期间的工资、工龄问题，与在职职工在国内上大学或当研究生同等对待；我驻外使、领馆要加强对留学生的联系和教育管理工作；等等。这些举措为自费留学人员提供了便利，消除了顾虑，推动扩大了留学生规模。

Deng Xiaoping not only valued “sending students out,” but also sought ways to attract students back to China. He repeatedly stressed that people are the most precious asset: “We have tens of thousands of students abroad; this is a treasure, and we must strive to bring them back.” To this end, he proposed reforming various constraints that hindered the return of talent, such as using postdoctoral mobile stations to absorb talent, or recruiting the most outstanding personnel back to work in the special economic zones and open cities. According to statistics, from 1978 to 1989, a total of 73,424 people were sent abroad by the state or by their work units, and 38,223 returned. Many of those who returned made important contributions to the development of China’s science and technology, while many of those who remained abroad also became an important force indirectly promoting the development and progress of China’s science and technology and the cultivation of scientific and technological talent.

邓小平不仅重视把学生“送出去”，还想办法把留学生吸引回国。他多次强调，人是最宝贵的财富，“我们有几万名留学生在国外，这是财富，要争取他们回来”。为此，他提出要改革束缚人才回国的各种框框，比如可以通过博士后流动站吸纳人才，也可以在特区和开放城市中把最优秀的人员招聘回国工作。据统计，1978年至1989年，国家公派和单位公派出国共计73424人，回国38223人，许多回国人员为我国科技事业发展作出重要贡献，仍留在海外的人员中也有不少人成为间接推动我国科技事业发展进步以及科技人才培养的重要力量。

(iii) Contacting foreign-born Chinese scientists to assist in the cultivation of China’s scientific and technological talent

（三）联络外籍华人科学家助力我国科技人才培养工作

In the 1970s and 1980s, Deng Xiaoping maintained close contact with world-renowned foreign-born Chinese scientists, repeatedly listening to their opinions and suggestions on the cultivation of China’s scientific and technological talent. With Deng Xiaoping’s concern, foreign-born Chinese scientists assisted in the cultivation of China’s scientific and technological talent mainly in the following aspects.

20 世纪七八十年代，邓小平持续与世界著名外籍华人科学家保持密切联系，多次就中国科技人才培养问题听取他们的意见和建议。在邓小平的关心下，外籍华人科学家助力我国科技人才培养主要体现在以下几个方面。

First, sending personnel to study and pursue advanced training in the laboratories of Chinese-American scientists. For example, in August 1977, before meeting with Chinese-American physicist Ding Zhaozhong [Samuel C.C. Ting] and his wife, Deng Xiaoping spoke with Wu Youxun, Liu Huaqing and others, pointing out: “We will first send a few people to study in the laboratory led by Ding Zhaozhong. We must use foreign conditions to train our scientific research personnel.” In October 1977, when meeting with Chinese-American high-energy accelerator expert Deng Changli, Deng Xiaoping proposed: “We can send a few people to study with you for one year; if the time is insufficient, they can study for one and a half to two years.” Second, participating in study-abroad programs initiated and led by Chinese scientists. Many patriotic Chinese and friendly individuals supported the training of China’s scientific and technological talents through study-abroad programs, seeking funding or providing scholarships, such as the CUSPEA program advocated by Li Zhengdao [Tsung-Dao Lee], which helped train many scientific and technological talents who returned to China after completing their studies. In December 1981, when meeting with Li Zhengdao, Deng Xiaoping expressed his appreciation for Li’s work over many years in developing China’s scientific enterprise and training young scientific talent. Third, inviting Chinese scientists to return to China to help train scientific and technological talent. In July 1983, when speaking with several leading comrades of the Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping proposed: “We must make use of foreign intelligence and invite some foreigners to participate in our key construction projects and construction in all fields.” In September, the Central Committee of the CPC decided to establish the Central Leading Group for Introducing Foreign Intelligence to Facilitate the Construction of the Four Modernizations. The appointment of Chinese-American mathematician Professor Chen Xingshen [Shiing-Shen Chern] as director of the Institute of Mathematics at Nankai University was realized through this talent-introduction project. When meeting with Chen Xingshen in November 1986, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “Your method of training talent by basing yourself domestically is a good one. Using this method, more people can be trained.”

一是派人前往华人科学家实验室学习深造。例如，1977年8月，邓小平在会见美籍华人、物理学家丁肇中和夫人前，与吴有训、刘华清等人谈话指出：“我们先派几个人去丁肇中领导的实验室学习。要用外国的条件，来培养我们的科研人员。”1977年10月，邓小平会见美籍华人、高能加速器专家邓昌黎时提出：“我们可以派几个人到你那里去学习一年，时间不够可以学一年半到二年。”二是参加华人科学家主导参与的留学项目。不少爱国华人和友好人士采用留学项目、争取资助或提供奖学金的方式，支持我国科技人才培养，如李政道倡导的CUSPEA项目，帮助我国培养了不少科技人才学成归国。1981年12月，邓小平在会见李政道时，对他多年来为我国科学事业的发展和青年科学人才的培养所做的工作表示赞赏。三是邀请华人科学家回国帮助培养科技人才。1983年7月，邓小平同几位中央负责同志谈话时提出：“要利用外国智力，请一些外国人来参加我们的重点建设以及各方面的建设。”9月，中共中央决定，成立中央引进外国智力以利四化建设工作领导小组。美籍华人数学家陈省身教授受聘担任南开大学数学研究所所长就是在引智项目中实现的。邓小平1986年11月在会见陈省身时指出：“你立足国内培养人才，这个方法好。用这个方法可以培养更多的人。”

Under Deng Xiaoping’s emphasis and promotion, through sustained effort, the results of China’s training of scientific and technological talent gradually became evident: scientific and technological talent achieved both quantitative accumulation and qualitative improvement, the enthusiasm of the vast number of scientific and technical workers for serving the cause of socialist construction markedly increased, and society’s recognition of scientific and technological talent grew ever higher. Deng Xiaoping exclaimed: “The participation of scientific and technical experts so extensively in economic and social decision-making activities has never occurred in China’s several thousand years of history.” At present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is undergoing deep adjustment. The Proposal of the Central Committee of the CPC on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, proposes to advance education, science and technology, and talent development as an integrated whole, and to promote a positive interaction between independent scientific and technological innovation and independent talent training. Reviewing Deng Xiaoping’s thinking and practice regarding the training of scientific and technological talent has very important implications for thoroughly implementing the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education and the strategy of strengthening the nation through talent.

在邓小平的重视和推动下，经过努力，我国科技人才培养的成效逐步显现出来，科技人才既有量的积累又有质的提升，广大科技工作者服务社会主义建设事业的热情明显高涨，社会对科技人才认可度也越来越高。邓小平感叹道：“科学技术专家这样广泛地参加经济、社会决策活动，是我国几千年历史上从来没有过的。”当前，新一轮科技革命和产业变革正在深度调整，党的二十届四中全会通过的《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议》提出，要一体推进教育科技人才发展，促进科技自主创新和人才自主培养良性互动。重温邓小平关于科技人才培养的思考与实践，对于深入实施科教兴国战略和人才强国战略，具有十分重要的启示意义。

About the authors: Zhu Yifei, Professor at the School of Marxism, Yangzhou University; Zhao Xiaolin, Master’s student at the School of Marxism, Yangzhou University.

作者简介：朱益飞，扬州大学马克思主义学院教授;赵小琳，扬州大学马克思主义学院硕士生。