The Establishment of "Double First-Class" (双一流) Universities in China and Issues to Prevent

The "Double First-Class"initiative officially started in 2016. With the announcement of the first round of "Double First-Class"universities list, all universities in the country joined the pursuit of being in the first-class. The paper reviewed the basic features of the first phase of the "Double First-Class"universities construction plan and the list announced, as well as the comments of the society on this major initiative. Based on the review, this paper puts forward several major issues that need to be cautious about in the current "Double First-Class"universities construction. First, to prevent the emphasis on scientific research but neglect undergraduate teaching; second, to prevent the rush to pursue targets at the expense of essential construction; third, to prevent the destruction of the overall educational ecology for the sake of local goals; fourth, to prevent the overemphasis on quantifiable indicators and departure from the systematic innovation of the education system; and fifth, to prevent the loss of school features in the pursuit of unified achievement indicators.