Exceptions to Professional Title Requirements Press the "Acceleration Key" for the Growth of Young Social Science Professionals
"The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is brimming with talent, and those applying for exceptional promotion are truly outstanding. I believe they will serve as excellent role models in academia after their promotion." "The comrades participating in this evaluation possess a high academic level and comprehensive abilities; they can produce not only academic papers and monographs but also policy reports [1]. Our university should learn from the Academy." Recently, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) successfully completed its 2024 professional title evaluation and promotion work, with 289 individuals across the Academy successfully promoted. At the evaluation meeting, external judges from other institutions offered full affirmation and positive evaluations regarding the effectiveness of the Academy’s professional title work, particularly the "exceptional promotion" (poge) [2] initiatives.
Exceptional Promotion Greatly Stimulates the Research Enthusiasm of Young Scholars
In 2024, 13 individuals across the Academy received exceptional promotions (8 to senior professional level and 5 to associate senior level), exceeding the total number of exceptional promotions from 2021 to 2023 combined. Previously, exceptional promotions were concentrated in the Division of Economics and occasionally seen in the Divisions of History and of Literature, Philosophy, and Philology. This year, the disciplinary scope has broadened, covering the Divisions of Literature, Philosophy, and Philology; History; Economics; Social, Political, and Legal Studies; and International Studies. Regarding professional series, in addition to research personnel, editorial staff also received exceptional promotions. In recent years, CASS has vigorously promoted the exceptional promotion system, leading to an unprecedented surge in the research enthusiasm of young scholars.
As Yang Zhen of the Institute of Industrial Economics remarked, the exceptional promotion system establishes a high-quality orientation and breaks the practice of "ranking by seniority" (lunzi baibei) [3]. This allows young scholars to bypass the quota restrictions of their respective institutes, ensuring that "young talents who want to and can conduct high-quality academic research" no longer "sigh in frustration at professional titles" [4] but instead "emerge in large numbers." Similar to Yang Zhen’s experience, Fan Jiarui of the National Institute of International Strategy, Gong Xiaofei of the Institute of American Studies, Yang Yuanzhang of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, and Wu Haijun of the Institute of Industrial Economics—all of whom were exceptionally promoted to Associate Research Fellow this June—had been at the Academy for a short time, achieving associate senior status less than two years after their intermediate appointment. According to statistics from the CASS Bureau of Personnel and Education, the average time spent in intermediate roles for those receiving exceptional promotion to associate senior level in 2024 was significantly shorter than for those promoted through the regular track.
In Fan Jiarui’s view, the shortening of the promotion timeline provides a massive boost to a young scholar’s career development. It represents the Academy’s trust and expectations, encouraging young scholars to utilize their academic expertise to advance the construction of the "Three Systems" [5] of philosophy and social sciences, contributing more wisdom and strength to national rejuvenation and the great cause of building a strong nation. "The exceptional promotion system acts as an 'accelerator' for the rapid growth of young researchers. Prioritizing support for young researchers with strong academic abilities helps foster a positive and healthy competitive academic atmosphere throughout the Academy," said Xiong Changkun of the Institute of Economics. Beyond the reform of the professional title system, the Academy has also launched a series of talent systems, such as the young scholar mentorship program, the "Youth Sowing Project" (Qingqi jihua), and the "Peiyuan Project," forming a systematic talent cultivation framework that allows young researchers to set aside worries and focus on their research. Yang Bo of the Institute of Ancient History believes the Academy provides meticulous, full-chain, and comprehensive cultivation for young scholars, encouraging the formation of academic communities and building platforms for young talents to pursue their careers and start businesses. Yang Yuanzhang also noted that, comparing his experience horizontally with that of classmates and friends elsewhere, the intensity of CASS's incentives, cultivation, and support for young talent is remarkably prominent.
Diversified Evaluation Standards Clear the Path for Different Types of Talent
In recent years, competition for professional title evaluation at the Institute of Finance & Banking has been intense, placing great pressure on Wang Xiangnan and his colleagues. Exceptional promotion allows an individual to not count toward their institute’s professional title and post quotas for five years. The exceptional promotions of colleagues Zhang Heng and Cao Jing to Associate Research Fellow in 2022 and 2023, respectively, greatly encouraged Wang. "I remember at a general assembly of the institute in November 2023, the institute relayed the year's evaluation and appointment notice alongside the 'Regulations for Exceptional Promotion and Quota Adjustment' word for word. They gave a detailed explanation of the core points of the rules and encouraged us to align ourselves with the standards and strive to produce more high-level research results." This June, Wang Xiangnan was exceptionally promoted to Research Fellow. Looking back, the scene remains vivid in his mind.
The "Regulations for Exceptional Promotion and Quota Adjustment," implemented by CASS at the end of 2023, further refined the "menu-style" (caidanshi) comprehensive evaluation standards. It added achievement-based evaluation standards, increased optional application conditions, and optimized the evaluation of policy research results, high-quality academic monographs, research projects, academic awards, and papers in overseas journals. Different types of talent can now independently choose their direction of effort based on disciplinary characteristics and their own strengths. The "menu-style" standards allow young scholars to choose an exceptional promotion path aligned with their specialties; Gong Xiaofei, for instance, was promoted to Associate Research Fellow through the comprehensive category. A senior colleague, filled with envy, told Gong: "You have arrived at the best time in the Academy’s history; you should cherish this opportunity and achieve results." Zhou Yamin of the National Institute of International Strategy believes the "menu-style" evaluation provides diverse choices for talent from different disciplinary backgrounds, with the focus always directed toward high-quality research outcomes. This clear goal orientation prompts young personnel to proactively conduct frontier, innovative, and autonomous research centered on major national strategic needs, helping to cultivate and select talent for the construction of China's autonomous knowledge system of philosophy and social sciences.
Improving Systems and Optimizing Services to Drive High-Quality Development
In 2024, CASS also made new progress in the classified evaluation of professional titles. Under the guidance of the Bureau of Personnel and Education, the Institute of Linguistics formulated and issued the "Criteria for Applying for Professional Titles for Lexicographical Editors in the Publishing Series," and the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (UCASS) drafted the "Management Regulations for Professional Title Evaluation in the Higher Education Series," refining evaluation systems that better suit the duties and characteristics of lexicographical editors and university teachers. Building on previous trials, the professional title application system was formally rolled out across the entire Academy in 2024, achieving full coverage. Basic personal information from the Academy’s personnel information system can now be directly extracted into the application system, greatly reducing the data entry burden for researchers and saving time. Information from AMI journals [6] is built into the system, and standardized information is set as dropdown menus, effectively reducing the audit workload for personnel and research cadres while significantly improving quality and efficiency.
Furthermore, the application system has broken through geographical limitations, allowing research personnel working outside Beijing or even overseas for long periods to apply and undergo auditing online. Many scholars reported that they no longer need to make multiple trips to their institutes to submit forms or revise materials, which is highly convenient. Many personnel cadres also noted that using the system for auditing allows them to provide immediate feedback to scholars, making the process very fast and efficient. Moving forward, according to the arrangements of the Academy’s Party Leadership Group, CASS will continue to deepen the reform of the professional title system. It will explore and improve evaluation methods and standards for personnel in the cultural relics and museum series, formulate and issue the "Administrative Measures for the Graded Appointment of Professional and Technical Posts," and revise the "Administrative Measures for Professional Title Evaluation." These efforts aim to further establish a high-quality orientation and better leverage the role of professional title evaluation as a "baton" (zhihuibang) [7], guiding and motivating Academy units to "produce first-class results and high-level talent."