The Mission and Responsibility of Higher Education Institutions in Building a Cyber Power in the New Era

The year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s proposal of the strategic goal of building a cyber power, as well as the 30th anniversary of China’s full-function access to the international internet. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [1]1 The 18th National Congress of the CPC, held in 2012, marked the beginning of the New Era under Xi Jinping’s leadership and the initiation of the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party., China has built the world’s largest higher education system, with the overall level of higher education entering the world’s first tier. A number of universities and a large number of disciplines have successively reached world-class levels, laying a solid foundation for building a cyber power. At a critical period when Chinese-path modernization is comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, higher education institutions must further elevate their political stance, take the initiative to act, accurately grasp the new missions and new requirements posed by building a cyber power in the context of the New Era, regard accelerating the building of a cyber power as a major political responsibility and a glorious mission, and build a “talent pool,” create a “technology repository,” and accumulate “positive energy” for building a cyber power.

2024年是习近平总书记提出网络强国战略目标10周年，也是我国全功能接入国际互联网30周年。党的十八大以来，我国建成了世界最大规模的高等教育体系，高等教育整体水平进入世界第一方阵，一批大学和一大批学科纷纷跻身世界先进水平，为网络强国建设奠定了坚实基础。在以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的关键时期，高校要进一步提高政治站位、主动担当作为，准确把握新时代背景下网络强国建设对高校提出的新使命新要求，把加快推进网络强国建设作为一项重大的政治责任和光荣使命，为网络强国建设构筑“人才池”、打造“技术库”、积蓄“正能量”。

Higher education institutions must strengthen the independent cultivation of talent, building a “talent pool” for building a cyber power. Competition in cyberspace is, in the final analysis, competition for talent. Without a high-quality talent team, it is impossible to build a cyber power. The need for outstanding talent and the need for education in building a cyber power are stronger and more urgent than ever before. It is necessary to build a talent team with strong political integrity and superb capabilities. Explore an integrated cultivation system for innovative and leading talent from primary school to university, continuously improve the network literacy and network skills of students of all ages, and build a full-chain talent cultivation system for cyberspace; deepen the integration of industry and education, open up channels for deep integration between higher education institutions and industry to cultivate talent, promote joint education between higher education institutions and outstanding network enterprises, and also break down barriers between disciplines within higher education institutions, focusing on cultivating professional, practical, composite, and leading network talent to meet the needs of building a cyber power; collaborate with cyberspace administration departments, public security departments, and network enterprises, through measures such as supporting the construction of relevant disciplines and specialties in higher education institutions, carrying out vocational education and training, and formulating vocational skill standards, to systematically, normatively, and sustainably improve the level of China’s network talent team. As the degree of social informatization continues to increase, the demand for outstanding network talent will also grow. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC emphasized the need to improve the independent talent cultivation mechanism and accelerate the building of a national strategic talent force. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must take the demand for scientific and technological innovation as the guide, optimize the disciplinary structure of higher education institutions, innovate talent cultivation models, and effectively improve the level and quality of independent talent cultivation.” Higher education institutions must keep in mind the original aspiration and founding mission of “cultivating talent for the Party and educating talent for the country,” strengthen targeted and organized talent cultivation, comprehensively improve the quality of independent cultivation of network talent, and provide strong talent support for building a cyber power. This is the key to building a cyber power.

高校要强化人才自主培养，为网络强国建设构筑“人才池”。网络空间的竞争，归根结底是人才的竞争。要建成网络强国，没有一支高质量的人才队伍是不可能实现的。网络强国建设对优秀人才的需要、对教育的需要比以往任何时候都更为强烈、更为迫切，必须打造一支政治过硬、素质超强的人才队伍。探索创新引领型人才大中小学一体化培养体系，不断提高各年龄段学生的网络素养和网技网能，构筑网络人才全链条培养体系；深化产教融合，打通高校与业界深度融合培养人才渠道，推进高校与优秀网络企业联合办学，也要打通高校各学科之间的壁垒，着力培养专业型、实战型、复合型、领军型的网络人才，满足网络强国建设的需求；协同网信部门、公安部门和网络企业等，通过支持高校相关学科专业建设、开展职业教育培训、制定职业技能标准等举措，系统、规范、可持续地提升我国网络人才队伍水平。随着社会信息化程度的不断提高，对优秀网络人才的需求也会越来越大。党的二十届三中全会强调，要完善人才自主培养机制，加快建设国家战略人才力量。习近平总书记指出：“要坚持以科技创新需求为牵引，优化高等学校学科设置，创新人才培养模式，切实提高人才自主培养水平和质量。”高校要牢记“为党育人、为国育才”的初心使命，强化有目标有组织的人才培养，全面提高网络人才自主培养质量，为网络强国建设提供强有力的人才支撑，这是网络强国建设的关键所在。

Higher education institutions must strengthen scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, creating a “technology repository” for building a cyber power. When science and technology prosper, the nation prospers; when science and technology are strong, the nation is strong. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out, “Core internet technology is our greatest ‘lifeline,’ and being controlled by others in core technology is our greatest hidden danger.” Through the unremitting efforts of the vast number of scientific and technological workers, China has made considerable progress in information technology, but original innovation capabilities are still relatively weak, and core technologies and standards in the field of network information are still in the hands of developed countries. As the junction of science and technology as the primary productive force, talent as the primary resource, and innovation as the primary driving force, higher education institutions play an irreplaceable role in the national innovation system. They are the main force in basic research and the source of major scientific and technological breakthroughs. They must seize the major opportunities of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, strive to achieve more “from 0 to 1” breakthroughs in areas such as future networks, artificial intelligence, big data, 5G/6G, and quantum communication, strengthen research on cutting-edge technologies in cyberspace security, enhance national cybersecurity defense capabilities, and ensure internet security and national security. It is necessary to continuously optimize the positioning and layout of high-level research universities and leading technology enterprises, better leverage the role of enterprises as the main body of scientific and technological innovation, promote collective research by higher education institutions and enterprises, firmly grasp the “lifeline” of independent innovation in core internet technologies in a two-way effort, produce more original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation achievements, fundamentally change the situation where key core technologies are controlled by others, and let the internet better benefit the country and the people. This is the core of building a cyber power.

高校要强化科技自立自强，为网络强国建设打造“技术库”。科技兴则民族兴，科技强则国家强。习近平总书记深刻指出，“互联网核心技术是我们最大的‘命门’，核心技术受制于人是我们最大的隐患。”经过广大科技工作者的不懈努力，我国在信息技术方面有了长足的进步，但原始创新能力还相对薄弱，网络信息领域的核心技术和标准规范仍然掌握在发达国家手中。高校作为科技第一生产力、人才第一资源和创新第一动力的结合点，在国家创新体系中有着不可替代的作用，是基础研究的主力军、重大科技突破的策源地，要抢抓新一轮科技革命和产业变革的重大机遇，努力在未来网络、人工智能、大数据、5G/6G、量子通信等领域实现更多“从0到1”的突破，加强网络空间安全前沿技术的研究，提升国家网络安全防御能力，保障互联网安全和国家安全。要不断优化高水平研究型大学和科技领军企业定位和布局，更好发挥企业科技创新主体作用，推动高校和企业集智攻关，在双向奔赴中紧紧抓住互联网核心技术自主创新这个“命门”，产出更多原创性、颠覆性科技创新成果，从根本上改变关键核心技术受制于人的状况，让互联网更好造福国家和人民，这是网络强国建设的核心所在。

Higher education institutions must strengthen the guidance of core values, accumulating “positive energy” for building a cyber power. The vast number of young people are the vanguard force for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the future of the motherland, and the hope of the nation. As the original inhabitants of the internet era, the younger generation is the main force in using the internet. The 54th Statistical Report on China’s Internet Development by the China Internet Network Information Center shows that as of June 2024, the number of internet users in China reached 1.099 billion, forming the world’s largest and most vibrant digital society. Among China’s internet user groups, students are the largest, with the total number of students enrolled in higher education reaching nearly 50 million. The internet has become an important channel for young people to obtain information and exchange ideas, directly and powerfully influencing the formation and change of their values, and their value orientation determines the value orientation of the entire society in the future. Higher education institutions must give full play to the fundamental role of education in cultivating and practicing core socialist values, strengthen the construction of online ideological and cultural positions, use core socialist values to lead and cultivate a positive, healthy, upward, and good online culture, create a clean and upright cyberspace, and help young students fasten the first button of their lives. Young students active online are not only an important force for improving the online ecosystem but also an important force for building a cyber power. They should be guided to sing the good voice of the internet, spread positive energy online, and further develop and strengthen mainstream values, mainstream public opinion, and mainstream culture. Use positive energy to lead large traffic, let large traffic surge with positive energy, and turn the internet, this “largest variable,” into the “largest increment” for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. This is the goal of building a cyber power.

高校要强化核心价值引领，为网络强国建设积蓄“正能量”。广大青年是实现中华民族伟大复兴的先锋力量，是祖国的未来、民族的希望。作为网络时代的原住民，青年一代是上网用网的主力军。中国互联网络信息中心第54次《中国互联网络发展状况统计报告》显示，截至2024年6月，我国网民规模达10.99亿，形成了全球最为庞大、生机勃勃的数字社会。而在我国网民群体中学生最多，其中高等教育在学总人数近5000万人。网络已经成为青年群体获取信息、交流思想的重要渠道，对他们价值观的形成和变化产生了直接而强有力的影响，而他们的价值取向决定了未来整个社会的价值取向。高校要充分发挥教育在培育和践行社会主义核心价值观方面的基础作用，加强网上思想文化阵地建设，用社会主义核心价值观引领培育积极健康、向上向善的网络文化，营造风清气正的网络空间，帮助青年学生扣好人生的第一粒扣子。活跃在网上的青年学生，既是改善网络生态的重要力量，也是建设网络强国的重要力量，要引导他们唱响网络好声音、传播网络正能量，进一步发展壮大主流价值、主流舆论、主流文化。以正能量引领大流量、让大流量澎湃正能量，把互联网这个“最大变量”变成新时代中国特色社会主义事业的“最大增量”，这是网络强国建设的目标所在。

At present, the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the changes unseen in a century, and the trend of the information revolution era are undergoing a historic convergence. The building of a cyber power has entered a new stage of development in the great journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and realizing the second centenary goal. Higher education institutions must comprehensively, systematically, deeply, and accurately study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on building a cyber power, deeply understand the strategic significance of accelerating scientific and technological innovation, further promote the high-quality development of higher education, cultivate builders and successors of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics who are well-developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and labor-wise, and contribute the strength of higher education institutions to accelerating the building of a cyber power in the New Era.

当前，中华民族伟大复兴战略全局、世界百年未有之大变局与信息革命时代潮流发生历史性交汇，网络强国建设在全面建成社会主义现代化强国、实现第二个百年奋斗目标伟大征程中进入新的发展阶段。高校要全面、系统、深入、准确学习贯彻习近平总书记关于网络强国的重要思想，深刻认识加快科技创新的战略意义，进一步推动高等教育高质量发展，培养德智体美劳全面发展的中国特色社会主义事业建设者和接班人，为加快推进新时代网络强国建设贡献高校力量。

[This article is a phased research result of the National Social Science Fund major project “Innovative Research on the Theory, Method, and Practice of Ideological and Political Education in the Big Data Era” (19ZDA007)]

【本文系国家社科基金重大项目“大数据时代思想政治教育理论、方法与实践的创新研究”（19ZDA007）阶段性研究成果】

(Chen Wei, Deputy Director and Associate Researcher of the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Wu Manyi, Dean and Professor of the School of Marxism at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China)

（陈伟，电子科技大学党委宣传部副部长、副研究员；吴满意，电子科技大学马克思主义学院院长、教授）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧