State Administration for Market Regulation: Accelerate the Launch of Professional Quality Examinations

Recently, the General Office of the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a notice on properly carrying out the nationwide higher education self-study examination for quality majors and related work, details as follows:

Notice from the General Office of the State Administration for Market Regulation on Properly Carrying Out the Nationwide Higher Education Self-Study Examination for Quality Majors and Related Work

Market Regulation Bureaus (Offices, Commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, relevant departments and units directly under the General Administration:

To thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on accelerating the construction of a quality power and an education power, effectively implement the relevant deployments of the Outline for Building a Quality Power, properly carry out the nationwide higher education self-study examination for quality majors and related work, and strengthen the cultivation of quality talents, after consulting with the Office of the National Higher Education Self-Study Examination Steering Committee, the following matters are hereby notified:

1. Accelerate the launch of quality majors

Higher education self-study examination is an important form of continuing higher education in China and a key way for professional and technical personnel to update knowledge and improve skills. Offering quality majors in the higher education self-study examination is an effective measure to strengthen the construction of quality discipline majors, improve the quality literacy of employees in enterprises and institutions, and address the shortage of quality talents in China. It is a fundamental task in promoting the construction of a quality power.

To implement the requirements of the Outline for Building a Quality Power to "support higher education institutions in strengthening the construction of quality-related disciplines and majors, focusing on cultivating skilled talents, research talents, and management talents in quality majors," in August 2023, the National Higher Education Self-Study Examination Steering Committee issued the Notice on Including Quality Management and Certification, and Quality Management Engineering Majors in the List of Higher Education Self-Study Examination Majors (see attachment), and simultaneously issued the basic standards for these two majors.

Provincial-level market regulation departments should coordinate with local higher education institutions offering quality-related majors, actively communicate with the provincial (regional, municipal) higher education self-study examination committees to explain the basis, necessity, examination prospects, and proposed incentive policies, actively seek guidance and support from relevant units, and promote the early launch of these majors.

2. Recommend suitable universities to undertake the main examination work of the self-study examination

Provincial-level market regulation departments should, based on previous joint construction situations, solicit opinions from relevant local universities, select universities that have established full-time undergraduate majors in quality management engineering or related majors, and promptly recommend them to the provincial (regional, municipal) higher education self-study examination committees to undertake the main examination work. Provinces that have not yet established undergraduate majors in quality management engineering may, after consulting with their provincial (regional, municipal) higher education self-study examination committees, recommend high-level universities in other provinces (regions, municipalities) that offer quality management engineering majors to undertake the main examination work.

3. Quickly formulate and implement specific incentive measures

To fully mobilize all parties' enthusiasm and accelerate the cultivation of quality professionals, provincial-level market regulation departments may refer to the following content and combine it with local realities to refine specific incentive measures:

(1) Incorporate the quality major self-study examination work into local quality promotion policies. Use quality award systems at all government levels to guide various applicant organizations to introduce measures encouraging employees to participate in quality major self-study examinations. Encourage local governments and parks applying to create demonstration projects in the quality field to introduce incentive policies supporting employees of enterprises and institutions to participate in quality major self-study examinations. Encourage including participation in quality major self-study examinations in bonus incentive policies in provincial demonstration pilot work such as standards, metrology, certification, and inspection and testing. Encourage personnel engaged in quality-related work in local market regulation departments at all levels and personnel in affiliated technical institutions engaged in quality management to actively participate in quality major self-study examinations.

(2) Incorporate the quality major self-study examination work into enterprise quality talent development plans. Encourage enterprises to formulate relevant incentive policies, prioritize hiring individuals with quality major academic backgrounds into quality-related departments, and promote, commend, and reward individuals who set learning benchmarks and typical examples. Support enterprises with chief quality officers to organize employees to participate in examinations, encourage chief quality officers, heads of quality departments, and personnel engaged in quality management, metrology, standards, certification, and inspection and testing to take the lead in participation. Those who have obtained a bachelor's degree in quality management engineering may be exempt from on-the-job training when appointed as chief quality officers and receive additional points when applying for individual awards in government quality awards at all levels. Promote and publicize enterprise self-study examination incentive policies.

(3) Incorporate the quality major self-study examination work into the construction of quality talents across society. For professional qualification examinations for certification personnel and related qualification certificate examinations for inspection and testing personnel, subjects identical to the two quality major courses can be exempted upon presenting a passing self-study examination transcript; detailed rules will be separately formulated by the General Administration. In the construction of the quality engineer professional title system and talent cultivation in the certification industry, obtaining diplomas in the two quality majors shall be regarded as proof of possessing relevant professional knowledge, completing continuing education, and providing research papers according to relevant regulations. Link quality major self-study learning with continuing education for professional qualifications such as equipment supervisors, registered metrologists, certification personnel, and special equipment inspection and testing personnel; passing single-subject transcripts can be credited as continuing education hours. Actively guide eligible students from regular universities and vocational colleges to register for the quality management engineering self-study examination to further broaden employment skills and channels.

(4) It is prohibited to organize enterprises and institutions to force employees to participate in examinations, to impose assessment indicators on lower-level departments under the guise of supervision and inspection, or to irregularly reimburse training, study, and examination fees for government and public institution employees.

4. Strengthen organizational mobilization and publicity guidance

Encourage relevant enterprise leaders and employees to actively participate in self-study examinations, laying a solid talent foundation for building quality-strong enterprises and enhancing enterprise quality competitiveness. Support personnel from quality technical institutions such as metrology, standardization, accreditation, inspection and testing, and special equipment to participate in self-study examinations to further improve quality professional literacy and technical service levels. Mobilize relevant industry associations and chambers of commerce to promote and encourage employees of enterprises in their industries to participate in self-study examinations. Those who have obtained diplomas in other majors at the associate or bachelor's level may be exempt from some courses according to the relevant provisions of the quality two majors examination plan issued by the provincial (regional, municipal) higher education self-study examination committees. Those currently participating in self-study examinations in other majors may voluntarily transfer to quality majors according to the relevant provisions of their provincial (regional, municipal) higher education self-study examination committees.

Market regulation departments at all levels may promote the quality major self-study examination work in relevant newspapers, websites, and new media, and during events such as World Standards Day, World Accreditation Day, China Brand Day, Food Safety Week, and National "Quality Month," interpret relevant policies and measures, further expand social influence, and actively create a strong atmosphere for building a quality power and an education power.

The Secretariat of the Quality Management and Certification Professional Committee of the National Market Supervision Vocational Education Teaching Steering Committee (located at China Jiliang University) should actively carry out teaching research work for the two quality-related majors, and provide relevant work consultation services to provincial market supervision departments and examination schools. Specific incentive measures and their implementation status issued by provincial market supervision departments, as well as other major matters, should be promptly reported to the Quality Development Bureau of the State Administration for Market Regulation and the provincial (autonomous region, municipality) Higher Education Self-Study Examination Committee.

State Administration for Market Regulation General Office

February 6, 2024