On March 18th, China National Academy of Educational Sciences (CNAES) hosted a symposium titled "Implementing the Plan for Building a Leading Country in Education and Strengthening higher Education 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. The symposium focused on making arrangements to strengthen strategic research related to higher education. Li Yongzhi, President of CNAES, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Vice President Chen Ruping presided over the meeting.

The symposium conveyed and studied the important speech delivered by Ding Xuexiang, Member, Standing Committee of Political Bureau, the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier, State Council, at the 31st plenary session of the Advisory Committee for the Work of higher Education Institutions under the Ministry of Education. In his speech, he emphasized the need to stay focused on the goal of building a strong education nation and to better leverage the leading role of higher education. At the symposium, the Institute of Higher Education delivered a keynote presentation on the theme of "Leveraging the Leading Role of Higher Education to Serve National Strategic Needs with High Quality." The institute outlined and proposed 13 major strategic research topics, including research on the integrated reform of ideological and political education across primary, secondary, and tertiary education, as well as research on promoting differentiated reform and development of universities. Seventeen relevant departments and institutes, focusing on the strategic research tasks of higher education within the broader framework of building an education power, put forward their work ideas and research measures based on their respective responsibilities. The Academy’s leadership provided targeted comments and feedback according to their areas of responsibility.

The symposium concluded that China’s higher education is facing both challenges and opportunities, including international competition in science, technology, and talent, as well as domestic shifts in population structure and industrial upgrading. It is imperative to support higher education strategic research through well-organized scientific research efforts, accurately assess the impact of international and domestic developments on higher education, strengthen integrated research on education, science, and talent, and provide strong support for the building of a leading country in education. The symposium emphasized, first, that strategic research on higher education should be included as a key priority in the annual work plan of CNAES. In the planning of research projects and the allocation of major and key projects, greater emphasis should be placed on supporting higher education strategic research. Second, efforts should be made to deepen the theoretical foundation supporting the development of higher education. This includes reviewing major theoretical achievements both domestically and internationally, and exploring the contemporary relevance and applicability of classic theories. Third, efforts should be anchored in practical foundations. In-depth research should be conducted on the impact of demographic changes, regional development, and industrial planning on the development of higher education in China, with the aim of supporting the establishment of a more rational and efficient higher education resource allocation mechanism. Fourth, it is essential to identify key action points. A comprehensive research plan for higher education should be carefully designed, with a focus on "going deep"--into universities, classrooms, and enterprises--to carry out thorough field research and advance systematic strategic studies. Fifth, efforts should be made to deepen organized scientific research. Cross-institute and department collaboration should be encouraged to tackle key projects and stimulate innovation in research. The symposium called on CNAES to firmly shoulder its responsibility, take proactive actions, leverage its strengths, pursue differentiated development, and contribute to better fulfilling the leading role of higher education in national development.