Guangdong Province convened a major education conference on Feb. 24, outlining ambitious plans to strengthen its educational system in order to become one of China’s leading provinces in education. The conference brought together provincial leaders, including Party Secretary Huang Kunming and Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng.
Huang discussed China’s goal of becoming an educational powerhouse. He highlighted national education strategies and policies, particularly President Xi’s directives to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party in 2022 and the National Education Conference in September 2024. He stressed the importance of these strategies and policies in shaping a robust educational system and emphasized the need to align Guangdong’s educational progress with broader national objectives. He said that strengthening education is essential for Guangdong’s overall development and its contribution to national progress.
In outlining Guangdong’s educational priorities, Huang emphasized nurturing talent and developing well-rounded individuals. He said the province should focus on key areas such as enhancing ethics education, promoting holistic education that encompasses ethical, academic, athletic, and artistic aspects, and continuously modernizing Guangdong’s educational system. He called on improving the quality and accessibility of public education through strategic resource allocation, strengthening both foundational and higher education, cultivating a high-quality teaching workforce, and ensuring campus safety. Huang stressed the need to integrate education, research, and talent development to drive Guangdong’s modernization, urging universities to take the lead in research and technological innovation.
Minister Huai acknowledged Guangdong’s dedication to prioritizing education and its achievements in building a strong educational foundation. He encouraged Guangdong to take a leading role in implementing national education plans and further contribute to China’s goal of becoming an educational powerhouse. Huai outlined key areas for future work: strengthening ethics education; enhancing education’s role in supporting high-quality research and development; improving the quality and inclusiveness of public education; leveraging reform and opening-up to stimulate educational vitality; and ensuring a high degree of safety and stability within the educational system.
Representatives from Guangdong’s education and science sectors, universities, and government also attended the conference, sharing insights and experiences. The conference, conducted via video link, reached cities and counties throughout Guangdong.
