(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-24 09:22

BEIJING -- A senior official has called for improvements in the quality of higher education to turn the most populous country into one that is not just big in number but rich in human resources.

State Councilor Chen Zhili said here on Sunday that China's universities and colleges should focus more on the cultivation of talents and professional personnel, to help upgrade the country's innovation capability.

The country should speed its transition from a "big" higher education nation to a "strong" one, she stressed. China had the largest number of college and university students in the world at 18 million. Its population with a higher-education background exceeded 70 million.

"Institutions of higher learning should further promote educational reform and pursue scientific innovation in professional personnel training," said Chen at an ongoing national meeting on higher education.

Great achievements have been made in China's higher education thanks to concerted efforts from all sides. She cited progress in school management restructuring, more rational allocation of resources and overall improvement of teaching quality and efficiency.

She encouraged colleges and universities across China to step up interdisciplinary studies, play larger roles in scientific and technological innovation, and to train more senior professionals to serve the needs of local economic and social development.

To further upgrade the quality of higher education, Chen suggested schools draw more overseas scholars into teaching and research work, and to step up exchange and cooperation with international counterparts.