A week ago, the first rural fringe festival in China—Huatian Fringe Festival of Daba Mountains was held in Xuanhan County of Dazhou. Dozens of specialists from China, South Africa, Britain, South Korea and other countries gathered together for foresight discussions and practical experience sharing on better promoting rural development. The festival itself was one of the specific programs covered by the cooperation between Institute of Cultural Industry, Peking University and Dazhou City.

　　In August 2014, Sichuan Province signed with Tsinghua University an agreement on strategic cooperation, which marked the beginning of Sichuan’s strategic cooperation with universities and colleges. Taking Tsinghua as the beginning, the province has successively established strategic cooperation relationship with 21 well-known Chinese and foreign universities in the following five years, including Renmin University of China, Tongji University, University of Nottingham and Peking University. On the list are also Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, China Academy of Engineering Physics and other institutes. Sichuan is building up extensive cooperation with colleges, universities and institutes of various kinds.

　　A relevant officer in charge of Sichuan government’s talents office suggests that the province-university cooperation is an essential long-term strategic plan. Since such cooperation began, Sichuan province has been focusing on integrated and all-round cooperation with partners regarding consultation on strategic decision-making, cooperation on scientific and technological innovation, achievements transferring and transformation, and communication of cadres and talents. In recent years, governments of all levels in Sichuan province has signed with domestic and foreign universities, colleges and institutes 451 agreements on strategic cooperation, which, with distinctive features, covering multiple fields.

　　We make joint efforts in developing cooperation platforms. Sichuan province has introduced a cooperation pattern of “one university, multiple centers”, highlighting the technological industrial institute as the “trunk”, which would affect the layout of R&D bases and technological transferring and transformation centers, or the “branches”. Up to now, 873 cooperation platforms for industrial, academic or research purposes have been built around the province, represented by Internet Research Institute of Tsinghua University, Cultural Creative Industry Research Institute of Renmin University of China, Sichuan Institute of Shanghai Jiaotong University, West China Pioneer Valley of Tongji University. Following the patterns of Silicon Valley and Zhongguancun, the province makes solid efforts in setting up “knowledge economy rings around universities”. It supports Sichuan University in developing the “three areas, four regions and one town around Sichuan University” based on its national demonstration base for innovative and entrepreneurial activities and facilitates the “one university and one area around University of Electronic Science and Technology of China(UESTC)” being established by UESTC. In addition, roughly 1000 practice bases and over 300 academician and specialists workstations have been established all around the province.

　　Working together on key programs. Since province-university cooperation, Sichuan has been sticking to taking key areas and key industrial parks as the bases for technological innovation cooperation programs. Taking Shanghai Jiaotong University as an example, its program with Dongfang Boiler is turning out preliminary results. It is learned that, only in last year, 68 province level programs were set up, combined with 2,223 key technology and talent cooperation programs on local levels, valuing over RMB 120 billion in total.

　　With the steady implementation of cooperation programs, multiple core technologies are being transferred at an accelerating speed. Until now, we have developed 15 core technologies in total with Tsinghua University. Sichuan University accepted over 7,000 programs entrusted by institutions within the province, transforming Sichuan-based contracts valuing about RMB 2.7 billion. More than 10 major industrial bases have been built in succession, among them are Tianjin University Rofs (Mianyang) Microsystem Base, Beihang University Base for Aircraft Engine Research and Development, Experiment and Production, allowing industrial chain extension and industry cluster to be made favorably.

　　Cultivating cadres and talents together. Over the 5 years, cooperation between the province and universities has also served as a strong pillar for the development of talents in the whole province. Statistics show that, in the recent five years, Sichuan province has attracted 85,000 people in total from its cooperation partners, among whom 26,000 own a Master’s or a Doctor’s degree and nearly 5,000 are selected outstanding graduates. These talents are attracted through some major channels like recruitment for selected graduates urgently needed, key talents introduction plan, special recruitment activities and others. The province and its partners also have more frequent communication of cadres and talents. Over 2,800 cadres have been sent to the other side for a temporary post. The communication leaves an excellent host of specialized party politic talents in provincial government departments, colleges, universities and institutes, and local Party commissions and government departments. In terms of talents cultivation, Sichuan province takes two ways. The first is “to send talents out”. Sichuan includes all its cooperation partners into its major bases for cadre education and training, where over 2,700 training classes were held for nearly 200,000 trainees. The other way is “to bring talents in”. Sichuan invites well-known experts and academics of universities and institutes to serve as specially-invited experts of the province, to participate in think tank and creative platforms of various kinds, to hold academic exchange and lectures, so as to pool knowledge and strength for better development.