Talents drive economic growth

"Talents are the key to a nation's economic growth, particularly to the development of an innovative and competitive module," said deputy Jin Xiong on March 16.

Jin is the president of Yanbian University in the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture of Jilin Province. Being a college educator, he said it is a must for universities to cultivate talents, who in return can help improve the universities' level of instruction.

According to its president, Yanbian University will continue to attract and retain talents through measures such as rewarding professors who preside over major national programs or receive national honors.

With the support of talents, the university has earned a place on the list of "Double First-Class" universities, which refers to a plan to construct world-class universities and first-class disciplines. The plan was released by the Chinese government in 2016 as a new impetus for the development of China's higher education sector.

"Becoming a 'double first-class' university is both an opportunity and a challenge to Yanbian University. For us, the phrase 'world-class discipline' is a foreign language, particularly the Korean language," Jin explained.

"The university has been focusing on research and studies of unique features within the region, including the ecological resources and health industry development in the Changbai Mountain area and the history and culture of Jilin province," Jin added.

The university aims to make two majors -- foreign languages and medical sciences education -- into its double first-class disciplines and at the same time improve education in majors such as chemistry, history and ethnology.