Dozens of top Chinese universities have started their annual enrollment of high-school students who excel in basic academic disciplines, as part of the country's efforts to reform undergraduate admissions and boost the development of basic disciplines.

Initiated in 2020 by the Ministry of Education, the "strengthening basic disciplines plan" focuses on enrolling students with outstanding performance in fields such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history, philosophy, and paleography. A replacement for the Independent Freshman Admission Program (IFAP), the new scheme is aimed at cultivating talents in key areas such as high-end chips and software, smart technology, new materials, advanced manufacturing and national security to serve major national strategies, according to the education ministry.

Now 39 elite universities have participated in the pilot plan, and the Ocean University of China in Shandong Province is one of them.

"While conducting life-long learning and exploration, scientists must also be able to endure loneliness and withstand the test of repeated defeats. Sometimes, scientific research is even carried out in quite harsh environments. Therefore, candidates should be mentally prepared before applying for the 'strengthening basic disciplines plan,'" said Wang Yulong, director of the Undergraduate Admissions Office of the Ocean University of China.

Application for the scheme usually starts in mid-to-early April every year. Students need to take the nationwide college entrance exam, or Gaokao in early June and the test and interview by universities after that. The 39 universities will publish the list of successful applicants in July based on their Gaokao scores, the results of basic discipline tests, interviews and physical fitness tests conducted by universities, and comprehensive quality results provided by high schools.

"The criteria are basically as follows: the students must get excellent exam results, be in good physical conditions and have outstanding performance in certain basic disciplines," said Yin Guodong, director of the Academic Affairs Office of Southeast University.

Each pilot university has drawn up special talent cultivating program for students admitted through the "strengthening basic disciplines plan." Most of them will have a designated tutor to direct their learning, attend small-sized classes and enjoy more opportunities for international exchanges.

"We have a '3+1+X' training model that connects undergraduate courses with postgraduate courses for students in the 'strengthening basic disciplines plan.' The first three years are mainly for undergraduate studies, and postgraduate courses will be introduced in advance in the fourth year. X means that students start to purse a master's or doctoral degree from the fifth year. They can be trained on basic disciplines or undergo interdisciplinary cultivation according to the training plan, which will combine key areas such as high-end chips, software, smart technology and new materials with humanities and social sciences where the country is short of talents," said Liu Aifang, executive deputy director of the Admissions Office of the South China University of Technology.