1986 was admitted to the Department of Education of Hunan Normal University, and 1990 received a bachelor's degree in education, and stayed on as a teacher. 1993 was admitted to Hunan Normal University as a master of higher education. He studied under Professor Zhang Chuting, a famous educator in China, and became the first postgraduate in the field of education. 1996 Graduated with Master of Education. 1996 was admitted to Peking University Institute of Higher Education, where he studied under Professor Wang Yongquan, a famous higher education research expert, and 1999 received his doctorate in education. He once taught at University of Science and Technology Beijing, and then returned to Peking University to teach.

He was promoted to associate professor in 2002 and professor in 2008. In 2003, he served as the vice president of Peking University Institute of Education, and in 2009, he became the president of Peking University Institute of Education.