2. The national key (cultivated) discipline is to further promote the discipline construction in colleges and universities and establish a high-level discipline system that fully meets the needs of the construction of an innovative country. On the basis of selecting national key disciplines, the Ministry of Education decided to select a number of high-level disciplines from the declared disciplines and give them key support. At present, there are 286 first-level disciplines in China, 677 national key disciplines in two disciplines and 2 17 national key disciplines.
3. National key disciplines are important bases for cultivating innovative talents and conducting scientific research, which are selected and built by the state according to the development strategy and major needs. They are in the backbone and leading position in the discipline system of higher education, meet the needs of economic construction and social development for high-level innovative talents, provide high-level talents and intellectual support for building an innovative country, and fully reflect the strength and level of scientific research and talent training in colleges and universities across the country. Up to 2007, China has organized three assessments, and selected 286 national key disciplines, 677 national key disciplines in two disciplines and 2 17 national key disciplines, of which two disciplines are covered by the first-class national key disciplines and are national key disciplines.