Jiang Yong is the current director-general of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education. [Photo/jyt.jiangsu.gov.cn]

I would like to extend my greetings to you on behalf of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education.

Located in the east coast of China and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Jiangsu has one of the fastest-growing economies, the highest degree of openness and the most dynamic development in the nation.

With its rich culture, well-developed education system and wide pool of talents, Jiangsu is a national highland for science and education.

There are presently around 15,600 schools with 16.14 million students (including higher education for adult learners) and 1.06 million full-time teachers in Jiangsu.

The level of education popularization in Jiangsu is high. The gross enrollment percentage of pre-school, primary and secondary education in Jiangsu is over 95 percent, and the gross enrollment rate of tertiary education currently stands at 65 percent, both of which are above the national average.

Almost all Jiangsu students have equal access to education. The coverage rate of inclusive kindergartens in Jiangsu currently stands at more than 90 percent. The proportion of compulsory education schools that have met standardized construction requirements and the number of students attending high-quality regular high schools are both in excess of 90 percent as well.

Jiangsu education has a high service capacity level. Forty-eight top-tier disciplines offered by 16 universities in Jiangsu have been classified as first-class, 227 subjects of 34 universities are in the top 1 percent globally in the latest ESI rankings, and 32 subjects in 15 universities are likewise in the top one tenth of 1 percent. Twenty vocational colleges have been selected as China's "double high" colleges.

Jiangsu is also known for its educational openness. The province currently has 194 cooperatively-run education institutions and programs. Thirty-five Jiangsu universities and colleges have established 69 overseas educational institutions and programs in 26 overseas countries. Over the past five years, 190,000 foreign students from 182 countries have studied in Jiangsu.

The future of education development in Jiangsu is promising. With the aim of becoming the vanguard in China's efforts to modernize education, Jiangsu has spared no effort in building an educational pioneer demonstration highland centered on the principles of fairness and sharing, comprehensiveness and diversity, suitability and integration, as well as excellence and innovation.

We warmly welcome youth from all over the world to come study, experience Chinese culture and make new friends in Jiangsu.

We look forward to strengthening exchanges with our global education partners so as to better enhance mutual understanding and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Jiang Yong

Director-General, Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education