Reflection on the program requirements of doctoral students majoring in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine in China

Abstract

The cultivation of frontier science and technology talent to adapt to social needs and national rejuvenation is a challenging task faced by doctoral education in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine in China. Ensuring the quality of doctoral education should begin with improving the related program requirements. Investigating 1142 frontier science and technology talents, this article summarizes the high-level abilities and essential characteristics that frontier science and technology talents should master from five perspectives: knowledge, ability, values, motivation, and traits. Using this as a reference, the problems in the current program requirements for 72 first-level disciplines in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are analyzed. The study found that the program requirements highlighted high-level ability; however, the essential character was not sufficiently stressed. Therefore, it could be adjusted by following the overall cultivation concept of doctoral students' core quality and adding the content of essential characters with clear guidance and discipline characteristics.