Gao Song, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, is interviewed ahead of the closing meeting of the second session of the 14th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 11, 2024. [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/chinadaily.com.cn]

Involving students in high-level research is one of the most important ways to cultivate students' creativity, said Gao Song, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of Sun Yat-sen University.

Facing the uncertainties of the future, it is necessary to foster students' creativity, as well as enhancing their general abilities, especially in learning, thinking and taking action, NPC deputy Gao stated during a deputies' group interview of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress.

"Most of the problems encountered in reality are complex and uncertain, and single disciplines and specialties often find it difficult to solve them. However, our education is fundamentally about teaching present students with past knowledge, hoping that they can solve future problems," he said, emphasizing the significance of creativity.

Gao believes that research-oriented universities play a pivotal role in basic research and the cultivation of talent for basic research. Education, science and technology, and talent are the fundamental and strategic support for the comprehensive construction of a socialist modern country, and universities are the most concentrated intersection of these three elements, he said.

"After assuming the role of a deputy of the NPC, the proposals I have put over the past two years are all related to the role of universities as the intersection and main force," Gao said.

Last year, he proposed increasing the stable support ratio for basic research at research-oriented universities. This year, he suggested optimizing competitive fund management to better stimulate the enthusiasm of researchers and their affiliated institutions, thus promoting the output of cutting-edge science and future technology.

He mentioned that this year marks a centenary of Sun Yat-sen University.

"Located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Sun Yat-sen University has already established campuses in the core cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen in Guangdong province. This year, it will also set up a higher research institute in Hong Kong to expand open cooperation," Gao said, expressing that in the future, Sun Yat-sen University will actively integrate into the Greater Bay Area, contributing to the construction of an international science and technology innovation center and a highland for talents, making new contributions to the country's development and human progress.

Link to the report: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202403/11/WS65eec2e5a31082fc043bbf0a.html