On March 30, 2015, the Expanded Meeting of the Chair Deans of the Joint Association of Deans of Graduate Schools of China was held in Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu. Yan Chunhua, Executive Vice President and Wang Tianbing, Vice President of Graduate School of Peking University, Liu Yubin, Executive Vice President of Graduate School of Nankai University, Wang Jiaping, Executive Vice President of Graduate School of Zhejiang University, Zheng Xiaolin, Executive Vice President of Graduate School of Chongqing University, Feng Xiaoyun, Vice President and President of Graduate School of Southwest Jiaotong University, Liu Guoxiang, Executive Vice President of Graduate School of East China Normal University, Tang Yuguang, Executive Vice President of Graduate School, Degree Office Deputy Director Li Haisheng, Director of the Secretariat of the Joint Committee Wang Xiaoyue and Deputy Director Qu Yizhen attended the meeting. Xu Zhongbo, deputy director of the Academic Degrees Office of the State Council, and Xu Weiqing, director of Quality Supervision and Information Division, were invited to attend the meeting.
The meeting studied and arranged the work of the Joint Committee in 2015, and focused on the establishment of "China Graduate Education Quality Alliance". The meeting was hosted by Yan Chunhua, Executive Vice President of Graduate School of Peking University.
On behalf of the Secretariat, Wang Tianbing, Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Peking University, briefly introduced the main points of the work of the Joint Committee in 2015, and focused on the preparatory work related to the renewal of the presidential unit of the Joint Committee. It was decided that the 2015 annual meeting of the Joint Council of Deans would be held in Chengdu in early November in conjunction with the inauguration ceremony of "China Graduate Education Quality Alliance" and would be hosted by Southwest Jiaotong University; after full communication with relevant schools, the proposed list of dean units of the next chairman of the Joint Council of Deans would be determined before the annual meeting, and the change of dean units would be completed at the annual meeting. Continue to play the role of demonstration and leadership of the Joint Committee, enhance the exchange and learning of work among graduate schools within the Joint Committee, introduce and publicize the latest progress of graduate education, reform programs and implementation effects of each member unit through the eNewsletter of the Joint Committee of Deans, and share the good practices and experiences in a wider scope; further improve the international exchange activities of graduate education, and continue to Organize a delegation of deans to attend the "Global Strategic Leadership Summit on Graduate Education (2015)" in Singapore, the 55th Annual Meeting of CGS 2015 in the United States, "CGS Summer Workshop and New Deans Institute (2015)" and other international exchange activities; strengthen the contact and communication between the Joint Committee and the competent departments, seek policy support and guarantee for the future development of the Joint Committee, continuously improve the construction of the Joint Committee itself, and promote the sustainable development of the Joint Committee. The meeting clarified that the Joint Conference of Deans, as a high-end forum for graduate education, should continue to play the role of researcher of important issues, adviser of major policies, platform for exchange and cooperation among domestic peers, and ambassador of international exchange and cooperation, so as to promote the development of graduate education in China.
The meeting focused on matters related to the establishment of "China Graduate Education Quality Alliance". It was clarified that the Alliance will play the role of supervision and guarantee of the industry organization, and play an active role in the construction of quality assurance and supervision system of graduate education, as well as the construction of quality culture of graduate education as a whole. The meeting tentatively agreed on the establishment plan, operation mode and promotion plan of the Alliance, and further communicated on the specific details of improving the constitution and quality declaration of the Alliance, formulating the quality standards of the Alliance and the publicity organization of the Alliance, so as to improve and implement the matters related to the establishment of the Alliance. The participants agreed that the work of the Alliance should be fully communicated with the graduate schools and the competent departments of the members of the Joint Committee, so as to put it into practice and make it an industry self-regulatory organization that really plays a leading role and represents the highest level of graduate education in China.
The meeting also listened to the report of East China Normal University on the preparation and publication of the Annual Report of China Postgraduate Education (2014), and reached a preliminary consensus on the selection of topics for the Annual Report of China Postgraduate Education (2015).
The meeting also focused on how to explore and build a postgraduate education system based on innovation and entrepreneurship and cultivate the innovation spirit of students in the context of "mass entrepreneurship and innovation".
The meeting was well prepared and informative, and achieved the expected effect.
Secretariat of ACGS
April 1st, 2015