Policy & RegulationAnalysis
Xi Urges Sichuan University to Leverage Interdisciplinary Strengths
Marking the institution's 130th anniversary, the Chinese leader calls for deeper integration across liberal arts, science, engineering, and medicine.
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The Brief
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a reply letter to the faculty, students, and alumni of Sichuan University on its 130th anniversary, urging the institution to anchor itself in western China and align with core national strategies. In the letter, published by Xinhua on September 29, 2026, Xi called on the university to build upon its tradition of national service and leverage its cross-disciplinary strengths spanning the humanities, natural sciences, engineering, and medicine to support China's broader ambitions in education, science and technology, and talent development.
Why it matters
Sichuan University is one of southwestern China's most prominent comprehensive research institutions. Direct political endorsement highlights Beijing's reliance on top regional universities to drive technological self-reliance, regional balance, and interdisciplinary research rather than relying solely on coastal hubs.
China context
Beijing has increasingly prioritized coordinated strategies to build a leading nation in education, science and technology, and human talent. Key universities in western China occupy a strategic position in regional development and national scientific self-sufficiency. High-level reply letters from top leadership serve as key policy signals guiding resource allocation and academic priorities across the state higher education system.
Editor's View
EDITOR'S VIEW — Analysis and inference, not factual reporting.
Xi's reply letter highlights the specific expectation for comprehensive institutions to bridge traditional academic silos. By explicitly singling out the intersection of humanities, sciences, engineering, and medicine, the leadership is directing major regional universities to move beyond isolated academic pursuits and focus on multi-disciplinary outcomes directly applicable to national strategic priorities. While symbolic, such messages routinely precede renewed institutional support, targeted research grants, and regional policy backing.
What to watch
- Implementation directives and curricula or research reforms rolled out by Sichuan University and the Ministry of Education following the letter
- Specific funding programs or interdisciplinary research centers established across the university's humanities, science, engineering, and medical faculties
- Further resource allocation and policy support targeting higher education institutions in western China
Key Takeaways
- 1Xi Jinping replied to a letter from Sichuan University marking its 130th anniversary, with state media publishing the letter on September 29, 2026.
- 2Xi commended the university's tradition of serving national development and anchoring itself in western China.
- 3The letter specifically called for maximizing the cross-disciplinary integration of liberal arts, science, engineering, and medicine.
- 4Faculty and students had previously written to Xi detailing the school's historical progress since its 1896 founding as the Sichuan Chinese and Western School.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory reply letter to the faculty, students, and alumni of Sichuan University on the occasion of the institution's 130th anniversary, state media reported on September 29, 2026.
According to reports published by Xinhua and carried by the State Council website, Xi extended congratulations to the university community and commended its institutional tradition of serving the nation, putting down roots in western China, and cultivating talent. The letter was dated September 28, 2026.
Xi called on the university to continue its historical legacy and play an active role as an exemplar in serving national strategies in the new era. Specifically, the Chinese leader urged the institution to capitalize on the integration and interdisciplinary strengths of its academic programs across liberal arts, science, engineering, and medicine, contributing to national goals of building strong educational, scientific, and talent systems.
State media noted that Sichuan University traces its lineage back to the Sichuan Chinese and Western School, which was established in 1896 and represents the earliest modern higher education institution in southwestern China. Faculty and students of the university had recently written to Xi to report on the school's historical development and operational achievements, expressing their commitment to remaining rooted in the western region and advancing national development through education.
Direct correspondence from China's top leadership functions as an authoritative policy indicator for the higher education sector. The explicit emphasis on cross-disciplinary integration highlights Beijing's continued push for universities to break departmental barriers and align research output with practical strategic needs, particularly in regional hubs outside eastern China's traditional educational centers.
Sources
- 习近平给四川大学全体师生的回信 — China News Service · 9/29/2026
- 习近平给四川大学全体师生的回信 — State Council of China · 9/29/2026
- 习近平给四川大学全体师生回信 — State Council of China · 9/29/2026