Residents visit Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. [Photo/CFP]

East China's Jiangsu province recently rolled out a five-year plan to develop high-end universities from 2021 to 2025, local media outlets reported.

The plan said that by 2025, more universities and disciplines in Jiangsu will be ranked as national first-class, 20 universities will be ranked as national high-end, and two to three disciplines will be rated in the top 10 percent among domestic disciplines.

To achieve this goal, priority will be given to talent cultivation, such as highlighting morality building, teaching students in accordance with their aptitude, and strengthening overall competence.

The plan will also use innovation to serve the economy, science and technology, national needs, and people's well-being. It will strive to realize innovation in key generic technology, cutting-edge technology, engineering technology, and disruptive technology, in order to yield high-end scientific payoffs that can lead the industry.

The plan stressed about the integration of resources, especially those in the Yangtze River Delta region, and leveraging universities' competitive advantages in disciplines such as integrated circuits, internet of things, industrial internet, artificial intelligence, cyberspace security, high-end software and information services, traditional Chinese medicine, public health and preventive medicine, biotechnology, new medicine and pharmacology, and new materials.

Jiangsu will continue its work on university and discipline brand-building, coordinated innovative progress between different universities, and distinguished visiting professors, so as to lay a solid foundation for developing high-end universities.