1 The Background of Modernization of Chinese-Style Higher Education

According to the report to the Party’s 20th National Congress, the central task of the cpc is to unite and lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, realizing the second centenary goal, and comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2022; He, 2019; Tian and Zhao, 2018). Chinese modernization is the socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China. It has the common features of modernization of all countries, but more importantly, it has Chinese characteristics based on its own national conditions (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023). The Chinese style of modernization is a modernization featuring a huge population, common prosperity for all the people, harmony between material and spiritual civilization, harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and peaceful development. The essential requirements of Chinese modernization are upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China, upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics, achieving high-quality development, people’s democracy throughout development, enriching the people’s spiritual world, achieving common prosperity for all people, promoting harmonious coexistence between man and nature, building a community with a shared future for mankind, and creating a new form of human civilization (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2022). We must give priority to the development of education, pursue self-reliance in science and technology, and drive the development of talents. We must speed up the building of a strong country in education, science and technology, and human resources. As can be seen from the above, Chinese style modernization calls for Chinese style education modernization, and Chinese style higher education modernization is an important part of Chinese style education modernization (Wu, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2022; He, 2019; Tian and Zhao, 2018). Higher education is the high-end and leading part of the whole education system. The development height of higher education to some extent represents and determines the height of national development. China’s higher education plays an irreplaceable and decisive strategic role in the realization of Chinese-style modernization (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022).

2 The Core Idea of Modernization of Chinese-Style Higher Education

To understand what the modernization of Chinese higher education is, we must first clarify what is educational modernization and Chinese educational modernization. Educational modernization refers to the process from quantitative change to qualitative change of continuous investment accumulation of modern educational elements, such as continuous investment of educational funds, continuous improvement of educational facilities, continuous renewal of educational ideas, continuous reform of educational methods, etc., which is specifically reflected in the process of continuous improvement of the level and quality of human capital (knowledge, skills and ability) of a country or region’s population or labor force.

From the perspective of the development process, the modernization of Chinese education has experienced a process from serving the overall construction of “Chinese modernization” to accelerating the “Chinese modernization of education”, better adapting to and serving the socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics. As an important part of Chinese modernization, the modernization of Chinese education is very important to realize the socialist modernization in an all-round way (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2022; He, 2019; Tian and Zhao, 2018). The modernization of Chinese education is a process in which a series of modern elements and their combination modes are transformed from low to high. It is also a process in which modern elements of education gradually occupy a dominant and dominant position. It can be summarized into three aspects. First, we should continuously increase the factors of education modernization, establish a relatively complete education modernization system, and realize the goal of Chinese-style education modernization. To realize the modernization of education is a process in which the modernity factors of education increase continuously and gradually reach the world average level, and then reach the level of developed countries (higher than the average level of oecd countries). Second, we should continuously strengthen socialist factors, adhere to the people-oriented education development concept, emphasize the social, public, and national nature of education, emphasize the combination of theory and practice, teaching, and production, give full play to the advantages of the socialist system, and fully mobilize the enthusiasm of governments at all levels, the market, society, families, educatees, educators and other stakeholders. It can be considered that there are three very important elements in the modernization of Chinese education, that is, the modernization elements of education, the socialist elements of education and the Chinese elements of education. The essential requirements of Chinese modernization also include the consideration of promoting harmonious coexistence between man and nature, building a community with a shared future for mankind and creating a new form of human civilization. These contents are also the basic principles guiding the modernization of Chinese higher education (He, 2019; Tian and Zhao, 2018).

The rational choice of “Chinese-style” higher education modernization in China should focus on the following considerations: how to better serve the needs of national and local economic and social development, so as to promote the great rejuvenation of the China; How to build an open and inclusive higher education system so that the super-large population can enjoy proper higher education; How to gradually narrow the gap in higher education in all its manifestations and give full play to the important role of higher education in helping all people achieve common prosperity; How to update education and teaching content and personnel training mode to adapt to the challenges of scientific and technological revolution and sustainable development of human society, and how to deal with the relationship between adult and talent education; How to expand foreign exchanges and cooperation in order to build a good national image of China and accelerate the process and influence of China as a world center of higher education; How to give play to the significant advantages of the socialist system to improve the governance performance of higher education and the ability to prevent and resolve internal and external risks of higher education (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023).

3 Connotation and Characteristics of the Modernization of Chinese Higher Education

The modernization of Chinese higher education has five connotations and five characteristics. The five connotations correspond to the new development concepts of “innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing”, while the five characteristics are “party spirit, critical inheritance, human nature, catch-up and reflection” (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023). In particular, innovation is the first important connotation of the modernization of Chinese higher education. Because the modernization of Chinese higher education must be based on China’s social and economic development background and cultural foundation, otherwise it cannot succeed. This shows that the process of higher education modernization is not a simple imitation process, but a process of creation and invention, is a process of modernization concept and Chinese higher education practice organic combination, especially with the process of Chinese culture, if the loss of creativity, will lose the vitality of development, and lose the power of development (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022). Therefore, the process of modernization is both a process of localization and a process of creativity. Opening is the second connotation of the modernization of Chinese higher education. On the one hand, as a post-modern country, our country is bound to learn from the development experiences of advanced countries, without opening up, there is no way. But in terms of foreign experience, we have to make some choices, not just follow the trend, but make choices based on our own development needs. The development of higher education has its own rules, we learn from foreign experience to find the rules, if we cannot find the rules, it is easy to fall into the pattern of copying. On the other hand, China’s higher education also has its own advantages, China has realized the leap from elite to popular in a short time of 20 years, reflecting the obvious institutional advantage and cultural advancement, which is the reason why the international study “Chinese experience” and “Chinese model”, we also have the responsibility to tell the story of the development of China’s higher education to the world (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2022; He, 2019; Tian and Zhao, 2018). Coordination is the third connotation of the modernization of Chinese higher education. Coordination means that the development of higher education must be coordinated with the development of society, economy, culture and science and technology. The purpose of the modernization of higher education is inevitably to serve the socialist modernization. If higher education cannot establish a harmonious relationship with the main subsystems of the society, it will not be able to achieve good development itself, because these systems are the support systems for the development of higher education, and the development of higher education depends on these systems. Of course, higher education also provides human resources support for the development of these systems. Without the modernization of higher education, it is difficult to realize socialist modernization. Therefore, the modernization of higher education is not only a component of socialist modernization, but also an important means to realize socialist modernization (Xi, 2022; Wu, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2022; He, 2019; Tian and Zhao, 2018). Green is the fourth connotation of the modernization of Chinese higher education. The modernization of Chinese higher education must also take the road of green development and must not take the road of waste of resources. If there are problems such as diploma expansion, excessive education, and unreasonable education structure, it will lead to the waste of resources.

Therefore, the government must emphasize the optimization of the structure of running a school, pay attention to the optimal allocation of higher education resources, and avoid vicious competition among colleges and universities. At present, the structure balance of academic and applied higher education reflects the green development concept. In the past, higher education emphasized the cultivation of academic talents, but today it needs to pay more attention to the cultivation of applied talents. As innovation-driven development enters a new era in China, higher education should cultivate innovative and entrepreneurial talents who can meet the requirements of the development of The Times, emphasizing the organic combination of theoretical innovation and practical application (Wang et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2022; He, 2019; Tian and Zhao, 2018). Sharing is the fifth important connotation of the modernization of Chinese higher education, the essential requirement of socialist modernization, and the internal demand of carrying forward Chinese culture. The modernization process is also a process of organic integration of modern ideas and Chinese culture. In this process, promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese culture has become the internal support of the modernization of Chinese higher education. Culture is the source of endless creation. Chinese people have great expectations for higher education. They hope to receive high-quality higher education, improve their own quality in an all-round way, and become a creative subject in socialist modernization. Therefore, the essential purpose of the modernization of higher education is to make higher education satisfying to the people, which is also the fundamental goal of the development of higher education and the concrete practice of the concept of “people-centered” (Xi, 2022; Hu and Wang, 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2022; He, 2019; Tian and Zhao, 2018).