In his recent report, President Yong Heming of Guangdong Baiyun University delved into the significance of discipline and major construction, exploring its intricate connection with China's discipline classification system and drawing parallels with those of esteemed nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. President Yong emphasized that, as an application-oriented undergraduate institution, Guangdong Baiyun University must prioritize discipline construction as the linchpin for achieving high-quality educational development.

Yong Heming underscored the pivotal role of discipline construction in fostering major development, emphasizing their mutual reinforcement. He particularly highlighted the centrality of scientific research in this endeavor, viewing teaching and scientific research as intertwined facets of academic excellence. Scientific research not only serves as a continuous source of innovation for teaching but is also instrumental in enhancing classroom education quality and sustaining teachers' teaching vitality.

Discussing the strategies and avenues for discipline construction, Yong Heming outlined five crucial shifts. These shifts involve a transition from a narrow focus on sub-disciplines to a balanced emphasis on both first-level and sub-disciplines, a shift from individual, unstructured development to a directional and project-driven team-based approach, an expansion of scope from internal comparisons to national-level comparisons among peer universities and disciplines, an elevation of platforms from provincial to national-level discipline platforms, and a reorientation from an overemphasis on applications to a balanced focus on construction, management, and applications. Notably, he stressed that the most fundamental shift lies in elevating the understanding of discipline construction from a vocational education perspective to one aligned with the comprehensive development needs of an applied undergraduate university.

Furthermore, Yong Heming outlined five shifts needed in scientific research innovation. These include a transition from individual enhancement to team-based development, a shift from closed-door research to open and collaborative research, a redirection of research outcomes from a mere quantity focus to a quality-oriented approach, a rebalancing of project applications from a preponderance of low-level horizontal projects to a balanced mix of vertical and horizontal projects across multiple levels, with a particular emphasis on achieving breakthroughs at the provincial and national levels, and a transition in scientific research management from a general administrative role to one that provides holistic application guidance, targeted proposal feedback, and standardized project management. He emphasized that boosting confidence, strengthening capabilities, and perseverance are the core components in achieving these shifts in scientific research innovation.

Yong Heming's report has charted a clear roadmap for discipline construction and scientific research innovation at Guangdong Baiyun University, serving as a powerful ideological compass for the institution's pursuit of high-quality development. He encouraged faculty and students across the university to adopt a more open mindset, embrace a pragmatic approach, and collaborate to drive forward discipline construction and scientific research innovation, thereby making a significant contribution to the cultivation of high-caliber talents and the advancement of local economic and social development.

President Yong Delivering a Speech