Expanded education access in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is strengthening ethnic unity and cultural identity among youth, as more students gain skills and opportunities through the region's growing university and vocational systems, said national political advisor Muyasser Tohti, president of Xinjiang Arts University, on Wednesday.
Tohti, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body, shared her firsthand observations of the profound transformation in Xinjiang's education system during a group interview ahead of the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee.
"I have personally witnessed the remarkable transformation across the Tianshan Mountains. In the early days after the founding of the People's Republic of China, there was only one university in Xinjiang. Today, Xinjiang is home to 66 institutions of higher learning, with undergraduate education available in every prefecture. Last year alone, approximately 233,000 students were enrolled in undergraduate programs and junior colleges. Academic offerings in fields such as energy, medicine, agriculture, information technology, culture and tourism, and arts are closely aligned with Xinjiang's industrial needs. Vocational education has also flourished. More and more young people in Xinjiang are changing their destinies through education and brightening their futures with skills. It's safe to say that today, the most beautiful buildings in Xinjiang are schools, and college campuses have the most beautiful scenery," she said.
"In this land where multiple ethnic groups live together and diverse cultures exchange and integrate, children have developed a deep sense of identity with our great country and the Chinese nation. They are proficient in the national common language, and their embrace of fine traditional Chinese culture runs deep. On the fertile soil of Xinjiang, the pomegranate flower will surely bloom even more brilliantly, and the song of unity will undoubtedly resound ever more strongly," Tohti said.
The fourth session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee is scheduled from March 4 to 11.
Xinjiang's education gains foster ethnic unity, cultural pride: CPPCC member
