On April 27, Chongqing signed a framework agreement on coordinated education development by the Chongqing Education Commission with the Education Department of Sichuan Province to promote the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. The two sides will intensify the leading role of Chongqing and Chengdu as central cities to accelerate the coordinated development of education in the economic circle.
Establish a multi-area education alliance
Under the agreement, the two sides will strive to co-build and share their educational resources and speed up the establishment of a cooperative mechanism for the coordinated development of education. They are going to formulate and implement the Action Plan of Coordinated Education Development in the Chengdu-Chongqing Area and carry out school district-based management and school running by group according to the national strategic planning on the development of Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.
The two sides will strive to co-build and share their educational resources and speed up the establishment of a cooperative mechanism for the coordinated development of education
To achieve coordinated, joint and integrated development, they plan to co-build a number of pilot and demonstration projects for major reforms and erect an education integration experimental area, a reform and innovation experimental area, a collaborative development demonstration area, and an industry-education integration pilot area with significant national influence.
Inter-provincial cooperation among excellent primary and secondary schools
According to the agreement, Sichuan and Chongqing are slated to facilitate deep integration of basic education in the Chengdu-Chongqing Area through carrying out inter-provincial cooperation among excellent primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, deeply promoting exchanges among their teachers and principals and allowing them to upskill with their existing posts retained. Additionally, they will advance major reforms such as the county management system for teachers of compulsory education and the rank system of primary and secondary school principals, and support normal universities in the two places in the construction of teacher cultivation and training bases.
Sichuan and Chongqing are slated to facilitate deep integration of basic education in the Chengdu-Chongqing Area through carrying out inter-provincial cooperation among excellent primary and secondary schools and kindergartens
They will promote rational allocation, joint construction, and benefits sharing of high-quality basic education resources and make overall plans to ensure that the children of migrant workers can study in local schools. High-quality smart classes and digital education resources will be made available for teachers and students in the two places. Besides, a Sichuan-Chongqing education base (camp) alliance for research practice will be established to promote integrated labor and practical education in primary and secondary schools and universities in the new era.
Establish inter-provincial vocational education groups
Moreover, Chongqing and Sichuan will promote the construction of an experimental area for vocational education reform and development in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. Based on their competitive industries, they will actively introduce a number of international quality vocational education resources to jointly build groups of high-level vocational colleges and majors, industry-education integrated districts/counties, and enterprises and co-construct a batch of vocational education groups and featured vocational education parks.
Chongqing and Sichuan will promote the construction of an experimental area for vocational education reform and development in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle
In addition, they are going to erect inter-provincial vocational education groups (industry-education alliances) among vocational colleges in Chengdu and Chongqing, jointly develop competitive majors, internship work and training bases and technological innovation centers, promote mutual recognition on credits, conduct exchanges and cooperation in more flexible student exchange arrangements and other aspects, and join hands to train technical and skilled personnel. They also plan to further industry-education integrated development and create related pilot cities, industries, and enterprises.
Shared courses and mutually recognized credits
The two regions support further in-depth cooperation in such aspects as talent training, discipline co-construction, teacher resources sharing, course sharing, mutual recognition on credits, and scientific research.
They encourage universities in the co-construction of first-class disciplines under the Double-First Class initiative
They encourage universities in the co-construction of first-class disciplines under the Double-First Class initiative. They are also slated to build a collaborative innovation system for universities, construct an innovation ecosphere of universities around Chengdu and Chongqing, and support the construction of a scientific and technological innovation center in the west. What’s more, they will actively strive for the settlement of more national graduate and undergraduate enrollment programs and make their universities incorporate each other in their enrollment source programs.
In addition to an alliance of universities in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, multiple open and shared bases will also be established for quality education, internship work, practice, and training of university students, ensuring the integrated employment and entrepreneurship services. Domestic and foreign top-notch universities will receive support in setting up branches, key laboratories, research and development bases, and achievement transformation bases in the two places. Furthermore, overseas quality education resources will be introduced, international education parks will be erected, and the layout of higher education will be jointly optimized.