The “Double First Class” Initiative under Top-Level Design

Oct 15, 2026

Analyzes the policy features of China’s “Double First Class” higher-education initiative under top-level design. It outlines initiative goals, selection procedures, and projected development milestones through 2020, 2030, and mid-century, then details the September 2017 selection results for first-class universities and disciplines. The policy feature discussion focuses on cumulative effects of prior “985” projects, alignment with national strategic needs and international science frontiers, support for disciplines with Chinese characteristics (e.g., Marxism Studies and Traditional Medicine), and uneven regional distribution of selected fields.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

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Policy Features of the “Double First Class” Initiative

Cumulative Effects of Previous Projects

Call for Meeting the National Strategic Needs and Advancing the International Cutting-Edge Science and Technology

Favorable Consideration towards Certain Disciplines with Chinese Characteristics

Uneven Regional Distribution of Selected Universities and Disciplines

ECNU Review of Education ISSN: 2096-5311 CN: 31-2150/G4 [http://www.roe.ecnu.edu.cn](http://www.roe.ecnu.edu.cn) The “Double First Class” Initiative under Top-Level Design DOI 10.30926/ecnuroe2018010109 Xiao Liu East China Normal University © East China Normal University & East China Normal University Press The “Double First Class” Initiative under Top-Level Design Xiao Liu East China Normal University © East China Normal University & East China Normal University Press, Shanghai, China In 2017, Chinese government launched a massive higher education initiative targeting at developing selected universities and disciplines into the world first-class universities as well as first-class disciplines in the world (abbreviated as the “Double First Class” initiative) . The initiative was an ambitious higher education project following the existing “985” and “211” key projects. After two years of wide discussions and deliberations, in January 2017, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, and National Development and Reform Commission jointly released a document titled as “Implementation measures to coordinate development of World First-Class Universities and First-Class Disciplines Construction (tentative)”. The document specifies the goals of future development, and details selection criteria, procedures, supporting schemes, and strategies of management and implementation. By 2020, a number of universities and a group of disciplines will meet the world-class standards, and a number of disciplines will be in leading positions. By 2030, more universities and disciplines will be enlisted in the world-class category, and a number of universities will be among the best worldwide and China will be in the leading position in more disciplines. The overall strength of higher education will be substantially increased. By the middle of the century, the number and strength of the first-class universities and disciplines will be in the leading position in the world. This solid foundation will transform China into a strong power in higher education. (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, & National Development and Reform Commission, 2017a) In September 2017, a list of the universities and disciplines was released 1. A total number of 42 universities were selected as in the world first-class universities initiatives; among them, 36 were in the category A and 6 in the category B. A total of 95 universities were identified under the first-class disciplines initiative (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, & National Development and Reform Commission, 2017b) . In total, 137 universities met the criteria of the “Double First Class” initiative, accounting for 4.7% of 2,914 universities in China. Among the 42 nominated universities under the world-class initiative, 33 are affiliated to Corresponding Author: Xiao Liu [xliu@admin.ecnu.edu.cn](xliu@admin.ecnu.edu.cn) 148 Xiao Liu the Ministry of Education, four to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and one to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. There is only one military university and three provincial universities included in the initiative. 1 Policy Features of the “Double First Class” Initiative By scrutinizing the list of the selected universities, selection criteria, and administrative measures in use, policy features of the initiative are identified as follows: 1.1 Cumulative Effects of Previous Projects The selected first-class universities are characterized by their undergoing long-term construction, advanced education philosophy, substantial academic strength, and high level of social recognition. The chosen universities must own a number of nationally and internationally leading disciplines, and have highly visible performance in education reform, innovation and building modern universities. Despite of the favorable regional layout consideration for Zhengzhou University in the central China, Yunnan University and Xinji

FAQs

What is the “Double First Class” initiative and what does it aim to achieve?

It targets selected universities and disciplines for development into world first-class universities and world first-class disciplines. The initiative sets phased goals for improvement by 2020, 2030, and mid-century.

How were universities and disciplines selected for the initiative?

Selection followed jointly released implementation measures that specify goals, selection criteria, procedures, and management/implementation strategies. In September 2017, lists of selected universities and disciplines were released, including category A and B distinctions.

What are the key policy features identified from the initiative?

The document identifies cumulative effects from previous “985” projects, emphasis on national strategic needs and international cutting-edge science, support for disciplines with Chinese characteristics (such as Marxism Studies and Chinese Traditional Medicine), and uneven regional distribution of selected universities and disciplines.

Oct 15, 2026

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