Zhang Rong (middle), president of Xiamen University and a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress answers reporters' question during the annual legislative session in Beijing. [Photo/fjsen.com]

Institutional reform and expansion of capability are two key factors in ensuring that universities in China achieve world–class status, noted Zhang Rong, president of Xiamen University (XMU) Sunday.

Zhang, also a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress, made the comments when answering reporters' questions on the sidelines of the annual legislative session in Beijing.

In September 2017, China launched a "double first-class" project through which the country seeks to significantly increase the number of highly-ranked universities or universities with world-class disciplines by 2050.

Xiamen University,a prestigious university in the port city of Xiamen, Fujian province, is included in the project.

When asked how to build "double first-class" universities, Zhang emphasized the importance of talents cultivation.

"The first-class disciplines are propped up by talents," he stressed, "Without talents, there is no possibility of building first-class disciplines."

Universities ought to strengthen their capabilities in talents cultivation, scientific innovation, culture inheritance and creation as well as international academic exchanges and cooperation, he said.

The president also attached great significance to institutional reform in increasing comprehensive national strength in education to world-class levels.

The building of first-class universities entails a first-class system, he said, calling for more efforts in nurturing a more reasonable and scientific discipline system, promoting university governance in accordance with the law, and setting up a modern higher education institution with Chinese characteristics.