'World-class' label has meaning for colleges

The central government's vow to build a group of world-class universities and disciplines by 2020 has triggered widespread discussion on the criteria for "world-class" and how to achieve it.

Chen Jun, president of Nanjing University, said that although there were no unified or fixed criteria for world-class universities, current top universities across the world do share some similarities.

"Advanced educational ideas, independent spirits - these enable the universities to produce world-leading, influential talent and research achievements that add to their global reputation," Chen said.