On August 20-21, 2014, the 2014 Summer Work Seminar of the Association of Chinese Graduate Schools(ACGS）was held in Lanzhou. Wang Lisheng, deputy director of the Development Center for Academic Degrees and Graduate Education of the Ministry of Education, Liu Jinghui, secretary-general of the China Scholarship Council, Wang Jiayi, director of the Gansu Provincial Department of Education, Liu Ji, secretary of the Party Committee of Northwest Normal University, Chen XI, secretary-general of the Joint Association of Deans, vice president of Peking University and dean of the Graduate School, as well as deans of 57 member institutions of the Joint Association of Deans and heads of member institutions' counterparts in graduate education, etc. In total, more than 80 people attended the meeting. The meeting was hosted by the Graduate School of Northwest Normal University.

The theme of this seminar is to continue to implement the "Initiative on Supporting the Development of Postgraduate Education in Western Region" of the Joint Council of Deans, focusing on the theme of improving the quality of postgraduate training and deepening the reform of postgraduate education, and the members of the Joint Council of Deans and the heads of postgraduate education of counterpart universities listened to the reports of relevant departments of the Ministry of Education and experts in postgraduate education, and exchanged and interacted on relevant practices and experiences to Promote the improvement of postgraduate education in the western region.

The opening ceremony of the seminar was presided over by Chen XI, the secretary general of the Joint Committee. Wang Jiayi, the director of Gansu Provincial Department of Education, and Liu Ji, the secretary of the Party Committee of Northwest Normal University delivered speeches, Wang Lisheng, the deputy director of the Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education delivered a speech, and Liu Jinghui, the secretary general of the China Scholarship Council, and Lin Mengquan, the director of the Evaluation Department of the Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education delivered special reports.

Director Wang Lisheng introduced the recent key work of the Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education, such as discipline evaluation and information platform construction, and emphasized how the degree center can promote the quality improvement of graduate education through the construction of institutional mechanism and cooperate with the comprehensive deepening reform and function transformation of the Ministry of Education. Director Wang fully affirmed the leading and exemplary role played by the Joint Conference as a platform for communication and sharing, communication and cooperation in the field of postgraduate education, and hoped that the Joint Conference would play more of a linking and consulting role and exert more positive energy in the future. He also hoped that the participants could express their views freely and communicate deeply.

Secretary General Liu Jinghui introduced the basic situation and work direction of the national public study abroad and international talent cultivation from four aspects, including the mobility of students and scholars and internationalization of higher education, the basic situation of the national public study abroad, the national public postgraduate program and the next work of the Foundation. He also hoped that the national postgraduate training units, represented by the members of the Joint Dean's Council, could make full use of the platform of the national public postgraduate program to promote the improvement of postgraduate training quality.

Director Lin Mengquan introduced the concept, achievements and latest initiatives of the discipline evaluation and quality assurance system of the Degree Center in three aspects, including the current pattern of multiple quality assurance in China and abroad, the future development direction of discipline evaluation and assessment, and how universities can reasonably plan to choose external evaluation.

In order to learn from the experience and practice of the training for new deans of graduate schools in the summer seminar of the American Council of Graduate Schools, this seminar specially set up the session of expert report, and invited Wu Daguang, vice president of Xiamen University, an expert in higher education research, Gu Yunshen, former executive vice president of the Graduate School of Fudan University, an expert in the field of graduate education management, and McKeith, a social institution in the field of higher education research, to present their views on They provided good reference and reference for the participating deans, especially the newly-appointed heads of graduate schools, to develop ideas and innovative methods.

Chen Ximeng, Executive Vice President of Graduate School of Lanzhou University, Jiang Ju, Vice President of Graduate School of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Ni Rui, Vice President of Graduate School of University of Science and Technology of China, Hu Xiangpei, President of Graduate School of Dalian University of Technology, Zhong Yang, President of Graduate School of Fudan University, Chen Heng, Executive Vice President of Graduate School of Harbin Engineering University, Li Xiubing, Vice President of Graduate School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Li Jun, Vice President of Graduate School of Northwestern University, and Li Jun, Vice President of Graduate School of Xinjiang Normal University. Li Jun, Director of Graduate School of Xinjiang Normal University, Hua Jinmu and Wang Ping of Graduate School of Chongqing University introduced the relevant initiatives and working experience of their respective institutions and put forward many constructive insights on how to promote the comprehensive reform of graduate education and strengthen the construction of quality supervision and guarantee system of graduate training. At the same time, through communication and exchange, we have a better understanding of the situation of postgraduate education in the western region and the needs for cooperation and support. The participating deans unanimously agreed that each member institution, while making its own reform plan and putting it into practice, should give full play to the role of demonstration and leadership in a wider scope, and make use of the platform of the joint meeting of deans to promote the cooperation with counterpart universities through practical work and provide as much support as possible. At the same time, they should make use of the platform of the Joint Conference of Deans to promote cooperation with their counterpart universities through practical work, provide support within their capacity, and make joint efforts to improve the quality of graduate education in western regions.

The closing ceremony of the seminar was hosted by Wang Tianbing, Vice Dean of Graduate School of Peking University. The meeting achieved the expected purpose and was a complete success.

Secretariat of ACGS

September 1st, 2014