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Study and Implement the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China(CPC) Central Committee

From "Selection and Cultivation" to "Nurturing": A Compara⁃ tive Study of Training Models for Innovative Talents in Funda⁃ mental Disciplines Between China and the United States 

Peng Jing, Chen Qiang

(School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

Abstract: The cultivation of top-tier innovative talents in fundamental disciplines is a crucial  manifestation of China's strategy to build a strong education nation. In today's global landscape, competition is fundamentally about securing elite talent. To achieve high-level technological  self-reliance, it has become imperative to promote integrated development across education, sci⁃ ence, and talent cultivation, and to establish a high-quality system for nurturing exceptional in⁃ novators in foundational disciplines. As the Sino-US rivalry intensifies and technological compe⁃ tition escalates, the focus of competition between the two nations has shifted from trade to sci⁃ ence and technology. By comparing the development gaps in fundamental discipline talent culti⁃ vation between China and the U.S. and analyzing the differences in their training models, we can  enhance the effectiveness of China's talent development and build a "reservoir" for scientific  and technological innovation. The comparative study of talent strength, academic achievement, and innovation transforma⁃ tion between China and the United States shows that the scale of basic science researchers and  the total output of papers in China have increased rapidly in recent years. However, there is still  a significant gap between China and the United States in terms of talent quality, achievement in⁃ fluence, and industrial leadership. A comparative analysis of exemplary cases from both countries reveals systematic differ⁃ ences in their talent development models. ①Policy orientation: The U.S. model evolves driven  by societal needs, while China's is strategically guided by national priorities; ②Selection mecha⁃ nisms: The U.S. emphasizes "comprehensive talent evaluation", whereas China prioritizes "fair  screening"; ③Training systems: The U.S. model is relatively mature and well-established, while  China remains in the pilot exploration phase; ④ Evaluation methods: The U. S. focuses on  process-oriented assessment, while China relies on quantitative academic performance metrics; ⑤ Training ecosystems: The U. S. emphasizes positive interaction with social systems, while  China's system operates relatively independently. To effectively enhance the cultivation of top-tier innovative talents in China's basic disci⁃ plines, it is imperative to shift from "selection and cultivation" to "nurturing". This requires  achieving three fundamental transformations: in terms of objectives, shifting from "selecting tal⁃ ents" to "nurturing talents"; in terms of processes, transitioning from "single pathways" to "diverse guidance"; and in terms of cycles, moving from "phased cultivation" to "lifelong growth". Based on China's educational realities, this paper proposes specific directions for upgrading the  cultivation model: in terms of selection, strengthening multidimensional evaluation and early  identification; in terms of cultivation, emphasizing tailored teaching and interest-driven guid⁃ ance; and in terms of evaluation, reflecting comprehensive assessment and appropriate tolerance  for errors. The corresponding systematic path choices include: ①deepening the understanding of  underlying principles and providing stable guarantees through strengthened institutional legisla⁃ tion for top-tier innovative talents; ② improving the cultivation chain by establishing a longterm, sustainable development mechanism that connects primary, secondary, and higher educa⁃ tion; ③focusing on integrating the education chain, talent chain, industrial chain, and innovation  chain to promote their deep integration, thereby enhancing the conditions for talent cultivation  and ultimately building a talent cultivation ecosystem with Chinese characteristics that supports  high-level technological self-reliance and strength.

Key words: fundamental disciplines; top-tier innovative talents; talent cultivation; China—U. S. comparison; the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee; technological  self-reliance and strength; the Integration of Education, Science and Technology, and Talent； basic research