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Anhui University's doctoral student Meng Weiyan conducts brain-computer interface (BCI) research experiments at Anhui University in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, April 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- In the thin air of China's southwest plateau, where bridges must endure extreme weather and fragile geology, engineering students are being asked: "How do you prevent concrete from cracking at ultra-high altitude?"

The question, raised by an industry mentor at a university-enterprise workshop at Southwest Jiaotong University, was not theoretical but drawn from real infrastructure challenges in China's mountainous regions.

Students and faculty responded with immediate design ideas. "At our school, the interaction between 'real problems' and 'real research' is constant," said Ai Changfa, a professor at the university's National Elite Engineers School, noting that such industrial challenges are embedded across the talent training process.

Sessions like this at the university are part of broader efforts in China to better align education, technological innovation, and talent development to support its modernization drive, an approach that also underpins its ambition to become a leading country in education.

China operates one of the world's largest higher education systems. As of June 2025, it had 3,167 higher education institutions, with the number of university graduates projected to reach 12.7 million in 2026, according to the Ministry of Education.

That scale is being reshaped as China adapts its education system to the needs of industrial upgrading and innovation-driven growth.

"Over the past five years, China has stepped up efforts to build a strong education system, strengthening the development and utilization of human resources and delivering notable progress in talent cultivation," said Li Lu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission.

Rising demand for talent has driven expanded enrollment in key fields and prompted reforms to align higher education with both frontier and foundational disciplines, Li said.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Chinese universities added 10,200 undergraduate programs while canceling or suspending 12,200, with more than 30 percent of programs adjusted overall, according to the education ministry.

China now produces more than 5 million graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines each year, one of the largest cohorts globally. In 2023, students in science, engineering, agriculture and medical fields accounted for 60 percent of master's enrollments and more than 80 percent at the doctoral level.

"Education supports talent, talent fuels innovation, and innovation drives development, making a strong education system essential to building a modern, strong country," said Lin Qingquan, Party chief at Ningde Normal University.

A teacher (C) guides students to test products at a quality supervision station in Qingdao Preschool Education College in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, March 31, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

This principle of integrating education, science and technology, and talent development is now increasingly embedded in policy changes.

China is strengthening foundational disciplines, expanding interdisciplinary programs, and improving the conversion of university research into industrial applications.

Efforts are also underway to enhance science and technology education at earlier stages and integrate artificial intelligence into teaching, laying the groundwork for developing innovation-driven talent.

Closer coordination between universities and industry is also taking shape through joint training programs. At Wuhan University of Technology, a scheme launched in 2022 with Dongfeng Motor Corporation trains engineers in new energy and intelligent connected vehicles, including areas such as automotive-grade chips.

After three years, the program has delivered measurable results. All 41 students in the 2022 cohort participated in company-led technology projects, generating 30 patents, 19 software copyrights, and 12 academic papers, and winning 11 competition awards. Most graduates have been hired by businesses engaged in strategic emerging industries, with some joining Dongfeng directly.

Similar approaches are being adopted across the country, as policymakers seek to streamline the pathway from education to employment and, ultimately, innovation, and reinforce the feedback loop between teaching, training and industry.

As China moves to the next stage of development, its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) pledges a continued push in that direction.

The outline of the plan, adopted in March, stresses breaking institutional barriers, aligning talent training with major national strategic needs, and building a seamless ecosystem linking classroom learning, scientific research and industrial innovation.

"In today's world, science and technology are the primary productive force, talent the primary resource, and innovation the primary driving force," said Huai Jinpeng, China's minister of education.

From engineering workshops to newly established programs, schools are increasingly serving as active nodes in a broader system of technological modernization, a role expected to deepen in the years ahead.