In order to meet the needs of the development of degree and postgraduate education in China in the 21st century, to better play the role of graduate schools in cultivating high-level talents and carrying out high-level scientific research, and to drive the development of degree and postgraduate education in China and improve the quality of postgraduate training, the National Joint Association of Deans of Graduate Schools was formally established with the approval of the Ministry of Education. "The Joint Council of Deans of Graduate Schools was formally established with the approval of the Ministry of Education, and the inaugural meeting was held at the Beijing West Hotel on January 26. Comrade Zhou Yuanqing, Vice Minister of Education, Comrade Zhao Qinping, Director of Academic Degrees Office of the State Council, leaders of relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry of Education, and presidents of 33 graduate schools and their universities attended the meeting.
Comrade Wang Yajie, Deputy Director of the Academic Degrees Office of the State Council, presided over the conference. Comrade Zhao Qinping read out the approval of the Ministry of Education on the establishment of the Joint Council of Deans of Graduate Schools, and decided to attach the secretariat of the Joint Council to the Graduate School of Peking University. Comrade Zhou Yuanqing made a warm speech. First of all, he expressed his warm congratulations on the establishment of the "Joint Council of Graduate School Deans". He hoped that under the guidance of the Ministry of Education and the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, the Joint Committee would conduct research on the development planning and major issues of degree and postgraduate education in China, and provide advice for national decision-making; further promote the development and improvement of the system of graduate schools in China, and play an exemplary role in guiding the postgraduate training units nationwide; actively promote the exchange and cooperation among graduate schools, between postgraduate training units nationwide and internationally; and improve the quality of postgraduate training in China. It also actively promotes the exchange and cooperation among graduate schools, graduate training units and international cooperation, and improves the quality and international reputation of graduate training in China. Vice President Chen Zhangliang attended the meeting and expressed on behalf of the 33 universities where graduate schools are located that he would actively support the work of the Joint Conference, and he sincerely wished that with the efforts of the deans, the Joint Conference would achieve its expected purpose and be a complete success! In a warm applause, the General Assembly unanimously adopted the first four presidential unit candidates, who are: Graduate School of Peking University, Graduate School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Graduate School of Harbin Institute of Technology and Graduate School of Sun Yat-sen University. Zhou Qifeng, the executive vice president of Peking University Graduate School, was elected as the secretary general of the joint meeting.
As the executive chairman, Vice President Chen Zhangliang presided over the first joint meeting of the deans. At the meeting, the deans expressed their views with a high sense of historical responsibility and a sense of sacred mission, and spoke freely. The regulations of the Joint Meeting of Deans of Graduate Schools, the annual work and the topics of the next meeting were seriously and enthusiastically discussed. All of them expressed that they should give full play to the role of the Joint Council, which is really an entity composed of experts engaged in degree and postgraduate education, and work hard to make due contribution to the cause of degree and postgraduate education in China!
Asecretariat of ACGS
November 28th, 1999