Formation | 2015 |
---|---|
Region | China |
Membership | 147 universities nationwide |
The World First-Class Universities and First-Class Academic Disciplines Construction (世界一流大学和一流学科建设), together known as Double First-Class Construction (双一流建设), [1] [2] [3] [4] is a higher education development and sponsorship scheme of the Chinese central government, initiated in 2015. [5] [6] There are 147 universities and colleges selected to be part of the program. [7] [8]
The program was initiated by the Xi Jinping administration in 2015 to replace the original higher education development programs Project 211 and Project 985, established by the Jiang Zemin administration in 1990s. [9]
In October 2015, the State Council of China published the "Overall Plan for Promoting the Construction of World First-Class Universities and First-Class Disciplines" (Double First-Class Construction), which made new arrangements for the development of higher education in China, replacing previous higher education projects. [5] [10]
In June 2016, the Ministry of Education of China announced that the Project 211 and Project 985 had already been abolished and replaced by the Double First-Class Construction Initiative. [11] [12]
In September 2017, the full list of the universities and their disciplines of the Double First-Class Construction was jointly published by the Ministry of Education of China, the Ministry of Finance of China and the National Development and Reform Commission of China. According to the list, 140 universities have been approved as 'Double First-Class Construction Universities' by the State Council of China. The Double First-Class Construction policy underlines that driving the overall development of universities by building and strengthening their faculties and departments, and ultimately develop the Double First-Class Construction Universities into world-class universities by 2050. [5] [13] [14]
In February 2022, the "Some Suggestions on Further Promoting the Construction of World First-Class Universities and First-Class Disciplines" were jointly published by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission. [15] In addition, with the approval of the State Council of China, the updated Phase 2 list of "Double First-Class Construction Universities" has been released. According to the Phase 2 List of the Double First-Class Construction, the previous university classifications have been abolished, and a total number of 147 universities have been included in the plan (accounted for 4.88% of 3,012 Chinese higher education institutions), after 7 universities newly adding into the list since February 2022. [16] [17] [18]
The purpose of the program is to "enhance the comprehensive strength and international competitiveness of China's higher education." The phase-specific objectives include that "an increasing number of Chinese universities and their disciplines join the ranks of world-class institutions, and a number of universities enter the forefront of global excellence, with a group of disciplines reaching the forefront of world-class standings by 2030," and "developing the Double First-Class Construction Universities into world-class higher education institutions through building and strengthening their faculties and departments by the mid-21st century." [5] [19] [7]
The Phase 1 list of 140 Double First-Class Construction Universities were jointly issued by Chinese Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, and National Development and Reform Commission without any ranking within the lists (by "school code") in 2017. [14] In February 2022, the Ministry of Education of China announced that the classifications had been invalidated, [16] and the universities included in the Double First-Class Construction should be referred to as Double First-Class Construction Universities. [20] [21] According to the updated Phase 2 list of the Double First-Class Construction (without any ranking within the list), a total of 147 universities have been approved and recognized as Double First-Class Construction Universities. [18]
* represent the newly added universities in the Phase 2 list of Double First-Class Construction.
According to the 'Phase 2 List of the Double First-Class Construction Initiative' jointly published by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission in February 2022, 15 universities received warnings on their Double First-Class status revocation (including Anhui University, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Central China Normal University, Guangxi University, Inner Mongolia University, Liaoning University, Ningbo University, Ningxia University, Northeast Normal University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Tibet University, Third Military Medical University, Xinjiang University, Yanbian University, and Zhongnan University of Economics and Law). These 15 universities were required to rectify and improve their research qualities and development, and if the universities failed to pass the final assessment in 2024, they would lose their Double First-Class Construction statuses. [22] [23]
The Nanjing University of Science and Technology is a provincial public university in Xuanwu, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and co-sponsored with the Ministry of Education and the Jiangsu Provincial Government. The university is part of Project 211 and the Double First-Class Construction.
The Dalian University of Technology (DLUT) is a public university in Ganjingzi, Dalian, Liaoning, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.
The Beijing University of Chinese Medicine is a public university in China. Founded in 1956, it is one of the first traditional Chinese medical institutions for higher learning in China. The university is affiliated with the Ministry of Education. It is part of Project 211 and the Double First-Class Construction.
The Central Conservatory of Music is the national music academy of China, located in Beijing. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education. The academy is part of Project 211 and the Double First-Class Construction.
The Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (天津中医药大学) is a municipal public medical university in Tianjin, China. It is affiliated with the City of Tianjin, and co-funded by the Ministry of Education, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Tianjin Municipal People's Government. The university specializes in traditional Chinese Medicine. It is part of the Double First-Class Construction.
Project 211 was a higher education development and sponsorship scheme of the Chinese central government for preparing approximately 100 universities for the 21st century, initiated in November 1995. There were 115 universities and colleges selected to be part of this program.
National Key Universities previously referred to universities recognized as prestigious and which received a high level of support from the central government of the People's Republic of China. The term is no longer in official use by 1990s. The term "zhòngdiǎn" 重点, translated here as "key," in this phrase can also be translated as "major," "priority," or "focal." The term "National Key Universities" then became defunct, and these schools are now normally referred to as "Double First Class Universities“, based on the China state Double First-Class Construction. However, it remains part of the vernacular, as evidenced by some Chinese media articles which still refer to "National Key Universities".
Bohai University (渤海大学) is a provincial public university in Jinzhou, Liaoning, China. It is affiliated with the Province of Liaoning.
Project 985 was a higher education development and sponsorship scheme of the Chinese central government for creating world-class higher education institutions, initiated in May 1998. There were 39 universities selected to be part of this program.
Capital Normal University is a municipal public university in Beijing, China. It is affiliated with the City of Beijing and co-funded by the Beijing Municipal People's Government and the Ministry of Education. The university is part of the Double First-Class Construction.
The China Conservatory of Music is a municipal music academy in Chaoyang, Beijing, China. The school is affiliated with the City of Beijing, and co-funded by the Beijing Municipal People's Government and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The school is a higher music education institution that aims at Chinese ethnic music education, research, performance, and creation. It was established in 1964 and is part of the Double First-Class Construction.
In 2023, the university enrollment rate was 60.2% according to the Ministry of Education, representing 47 million mainland Chinese students enrolled in 4-year university and college degree programs in some 3,074 Chinese tertiary institutions. Entry into universities is intended to be meritocratic in which successful entry depends only on the result of the Gaokao entrance examination. Usually, 12 years of formal education is a prerequisite for entry into an undergraduate degree. Entry is not influenced or determined by sporting activities, extracurricular programs, donations, or alumni parents and siblings. Chinese education authorities have emphasized meritocracy as a social equalizer.
The Jilin University of Finance and Economics is a provincial public university located in Changchun, Jilin, China. It is affiliated with the Jilin Provincial Government, and co-sponsored by the Jilin Provincial Government and the State Taxation Administration.
Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU) is a public research university in Shanghai, China, dedicated to the study of aquaculture, marine science and engineering. This university is a part of the national Double First-Class Construction Initiative. It is co-established by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Shanghai Municipal Government.
Ningxia University is a regional public university in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China. It is affiliated with the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and co-funded by the regional government and the Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211 and the Double First-Class Construction.
The Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine is a provincial public university in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is affiliated with the Province of Guangdong. The university is part of the Double First-Class Construction.
The Air Force Medical University (中国人民解放军空军军医大学) is a public medical university in Xincheng, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. It is affiliated with the People's Liberation Army Air Force. The university is part of the Double First-Class Construction. The university was formerly known as the Fourth Military Medical University until 2017.
The Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) is a municipal public university in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. It is owned and funded by the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government. In 2022, there were over 10,000 students enrolled. The university is part of the Double First-Class Construction.
Beijing City University is a private college in Haidian, Beijing, China. The school was granted college status in 2003. Despite its English name, the institute has not yet been granted university status.
In China, universities and colleges are classified in different ways for administrative purposes by the Ministry of Education of China.