Research on pathways for university-based large-scale scientific facilities to promote the integrated development of education, science, and talent

This study aims to demonstrate that large-scale scientific facilities hosted by universities serve as critical platforms for advancing the coordinated development of education, science, and talent, a foundational strategy for Chinese modernization. Education, science, and talent constitute the fundamental and strategic pillars of Chinese modernization, making it imperative to identify pathways and mechanisms for their integrated development to achieve high-quality growth. As key components of the national innovation system, large-scale scientific facilities, characterized by substantial investment, sophisticated technology, and long-term operation, play an irreplaceable role in advancing frontier science and cultivating talent to meet national strategic needs. However, the specific mechanisms through which university-hosted facilities promote the synergistic development of education, science, and talent remain underexplored and require systematic investigation.

This study adopts a case study approach, using Xi’an Jiaotong University as the focal case to examine how institutional innovation can facilitate the integration of large-scale scientific facilities with education and talent development. In recent years, Chinese universities have increasingly assumed leading roles in the construction and operation of such facilities. Compared with national research institutes, universities possess unique advantages in disciplinary breadth, human resources, and the integration of research and education. These university-based facilities embed frontier scientific resources into academic training, enabling real-time alignment between teaching and cutting-edge research. They also serve as interdisciplinary hubs, promoting collaboration across physics, materials science, engineering, and information science, thereby contributing to breakthroughs at key scientific and technological frontiers. Despite these advantages, the integration of large-scale scientific facilities within universities faces structural and institutional challenges. Structurally, discipline-based administrative systems constrain universities, resulting in a mismatch between the cross-domain nature of large-scale facilities and segmented management structures. Institutionally, short-term evaluation mechanisms hinder long-term scientific accumulation, while insufficient academia–industry linkages limit the translation of research outcomes into educational and technological innovation. Against this backdrop, this study analyzes how Xi’an Jiaotong University has leveraged institutional innovation to address these challenges.

The analysis yields three key findings. First, centered on the construction of the “Electromagnetic-Driven Fusion” large-scale scientific facility, the university established an interdisciplinary framework linking electrical engineering, plasma physics, nuclear science, and materials science, thereby breaking down traditional departmental silos and enabling cross-disciplinary collaboration. Second, it developed integrated programs that embed experimental research into curricula, allowing students to engage in the full cycle of scientific practice—from project design and experimental implementation to data analysis and dissemination of results—thus incorporating cutting-edge research directly into the educational process. Third, long-term talent development mechanisms, such as the “Everest Plan” and the “Outstanding Undergraduate Program,” were implemented to create a coherent training pipeline across educational levels. Concurrently, initiatives such as “6352” and “1121” promoted deep collaboration among universities, research institutes, and industry, effectively translating scientific progress into educational reform and technological innovation.

This study concludes that large-scale scientific facilities in universities function not merely as research infrastructure but as strategic platforms integrating education, science, and talent development into a cohesive ecosystem. By optimizing organizational structures, improving long-term evaluation systems, and enhancing openness and collaboration, universities can build integrated ecosystems that simultaneously advance national scientific objectives and educational innovation. These findings offer practical insights for other universities seeking to leverage large-scale scientific facilities for synergistic development, ultimately supporting China’s pursuit of high-level scientific self-reliance and educational modernization.