Since the reform and opening up, China’s economy has boomed along with social progress, achievements which have drawn the world’s attention. However, the transformation of the economy and social structure has created all kinds of conflicts and problems. Since 2013, the Chinese government has repeatedly stressed the will to eradicate poverty, to improve people’s livelihood, and to gradually achieve common prosperity. This involves the implementation of related policies to promote social development. China’s decision-making policy is a collaborative effort among government, academia, think tanks, and the target group, in which academics and think tanks play an essential and irreplaceable role.

To promote academic exchanges and policy researches, the Universities Service Centre for China Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong has organized a series of seminars on Chinese Society and Policy. The theme of the fifth meeting is “Retrospective and Prospective of China’s Education System”, which was held on 23 July 2019. We invited eight speakers from Mainland China and overseas, as well as Hong Kong–based scholars, who brought a more global and comparative dimension to discuss the current situation and future of Chinese society. They engaged in a dialogues with experts and general public on how to improve China’s education system and policy with respect to the coverage of vulnerable groups, such as rural students, etc.