On March 12, China National Academy of Educational Sciences convened a symposium titled "Implementing the Plan for Building a Leading Country in Education and Strengthening Educational Strategic Research." The symposium aimed to study and implement the spirit of the "Plan for Building a Leading Country in Education (2024–2035)" and the three-year action plan for its construction. It sought to thoroughly understand the comprehensive deployment and policy intentions outlined in the Ministry of Education's key work points for 2025, actively respond to the Ministry's call to strengthen educational strategic research, and accurately assess CNAES's main research directions for 2025. The symposium was presided over by Li Yongzhi, President of CNAES.

The symposium conveyed and studied the important speech delivered by President Xi Jinping of the Communist Party of China (CPC) during the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), emphasizing the need to "strengthen the role of education in supporting science, technology, and talent development." During the symposium, 20 research institutes engaged in in-depth discussions on the focal points and key measures of educational strategic research, centering around 10 major strategic research areas:

1. Shaping a new pattern of moral education, especially for fostering virtue and nurture a new generation of capable young people;

2. Enhancing the quality and excellence of basic education;

3. Strengthening the comprehensive capabilities of tertiary education;

4. Improving the technological innovation capacity of universities;

5. Accelerating the construction of a modern vocational education system;

6. Advancing the national education digitalization strategy;

7. Building a high-quality, professional teaching workforce;

8. Deepening education evaluation reform;

9. Promoting the opening up of education to the outside world;

10. Establishing a comprehensive education security system.

Each institute contributed insights based on their primary responsibilities and research expertise. The academy's leadership provided targeted feedback in relation to their respective areas of oversight.

The symposium emphasized that to effectively implement the "Plan for Building a Leading Country in Education" and its accompanying three-year action plan, several key actions are essential:1. Strengthening the Comprehensive Leadership of the Party: It is crucial to bolster confidence, unify efforts, and focus on practical work. Developing robust capabilities is necessary to contribute effectively to the advancement of a strong educational framework. 2. Enhancing Strategic Research: There is a need to address both strategic issues and methodological innovations. It is important to avoid merely providing explanations without resolving actual problems. Efforts should be made to overcome challenges where research lacks depth or fails to address core issues effectively. By focusing on these areas, the goal is to ensure that educational strategies are both comprehensive and actionable. Thirdly, it is imperative to seize historical initiative. As a national educational think tank, CNAES must lead proactively, adapt to the evolving times, and take active measures to assume new responsibilities and make novel contributions in building a leading country in education. Fourthly, it is essential to conduct in-depth investigations and research. Scholars should not confine themselves to academic ivory towers; instead, they must embody the spirit of seeking truth from facts, as exemplified by Mao Zedong's "The Investigation of Xunwu." This entails immersing oneself in front-line realities, confronting issues directly, and organizing comprehensive educational research initiatives. Fifth, it is essential to strengthen scientific research collaboration by actively mobilizing resources across the entire educational research front. This includes effectively leveraging external expertise to create synergistic efforts. Sixth, it is imperative to transform research paradigms by continually advancing the intelligence of educational research. This involves establishing comprehensive research project maps and leveraging generative artificial intelligence (AI) to empower high-quality development in educational research. Seventh, it is essential to strengthen capacity building, with particular emphasis on leveraging the role of young researchers to fully stimulate research vitality. Special task review meetings should be held regularly to promptly summarize experiences, identify gaps, and refine strategies. In fully serving building a leading country in education, all researchers must move in the right direction, adopt the right methods, and accelerate with the unique speed and momentum of CNAES.