Prof. Minsu Wu of the Communication University of China (CUC) in Beijing has emphasized the transformative power of education, describing it as a driving force behind China’s rapid advancement. Speaking on Wednesday during a lecture at CUC, she asserted that education plays a crucial role in shaping societies and generations.
“Education changes the fate of societies and generations,” Minsu stated while addressing journalists who visited the university as part of the 2025 China International Press Communication Center programme. She highlighted how, in the early years of New China, education was recognized as a fundamental pillar for national development, leading to literacy campaigns that laid the foundation for progress.
According to Minsu, China’s education system has since evolved, with a strong emphasis on equity and quality, driving the country’s modernization efforts. She underscored the importance of exchange programmes for students and professionals, noting that exposure to different cultures fosters mutual understanding and broadens perspectives. Beyond education, she pointed to poverty alleviation and innovation as additional factors propelling China’s societal advancement.
Referencing the *Outline for Building an Education Powerhouse (2024-2035)* issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, she outlined key educational goals for 2035, including talent cultivation, high-quality education, technological self-reliance, and greater global influence in education governance.
During the visit, CUC teachers and students welcomed journalists with beats from *Weifeng Gong* and traditional drums, performances believed to promote Chinese culture while helping students relieve psychological stress. The university, spanning 638,800 square meters with 11,600 undergraduate students, 6,500 graduate students, and 21 teaching units, is home to China’s first comprehensive media museum and the only National Level-3 Museum in Beijing universities.
The institution also houses the Guangming Cinema, a public welfare project dedicated to producing audio-described films for the visually impaired. According to Chen Zhongrui, a graduate student of International Communication at CUC, the initiative seeks to improve social participation for visually impaired individuals, with China home to 17 million of the world’s two billion visually impaired people.
“Our ultimate purpose is to promote the equality of cultural rights for them by building equal access to movie theatres. Specifically, we insert descriptions of visual scenes between dialogues and sound effects, converting visual information into auditory information to help visually-impaired people understand movies,” Chen explained during a tour of the cinema.
He added that the cinema collaborates with China’s Federation of Disabled Persons and special education schools, providing free audio-described films to over eight million visually impaired individuals and 2,244 special education institutions over the past seven years.
“We know that some other countries are also making audio-described films as part of disability welfare, and we hope to promote construction of barrier-free environments in China as a pioneer,” he said.
With China’s continued focus on education, innovation, and inclusivity, the country is positioning itself as a global leader in both academic and social advancements.
