Abstract:

In the construction of a powerful nation of education, higher education serves as the leading force. As an indispensable component of the national education system, it plays a distinctive and pivotal role that differentiates it from other educational subsystems. In terms of its functional positioning, its leading role is reflected in the integrated unity of guiding, supporting, and driving functions. Based on an integrative analytical framework of “ontological strengthening-value externalization-identity formation,” the functional mechanism and action logic of higher education in the construction of a powerful nation of education can be understood at three levels. At the ontological level, higher education exerts an overarching guiding role by fostering a high-quality education system. At the value level, it enhances the capacity for cultivating high-quality talent, consolidates the talent base, improves educational output efficiency, and nurtures innovation, thereby providing a driving force for the construction of a powerful nation of education. At the identity level, it deepens educational service and social contribution to strengthen public recognition, while enhancing international competitiveness and influence to build global consensus for the construction of a powerful nation of education.

Key words: Construction of a Powerful Nation of Education, modernization of higher education, high-quality education system, functional mechanism