"I have witnessed the tremendous changes in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (in Northwest China) during the past few decades," says Muyassar Tohti, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, during a group interview ahead of the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee. The meeting was held on March 4 in the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing.
Muyassar Tohti, President of Xinjiang Arts University, noted Xinjiang had only one university in the early years after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Now, she noted, there are 66 higher education institutions in Xinjiang. "The higher education institutions enrolled a combined 233,000 undergraduate students in 2025. Majors — focusing on energy, medicine, agriculture, information technology, arts, culture and tourism — in the universities meet relevant industries' demands for talents in Xinjiang. Vocational education is also easily accessible. Many young people in Xinjiang are changing their destinies through education and illuminating their futures through skills," says Muyassar Tohti.
Xinjiang is inhabited by multiple ethnic groups, and it boasts the integration of diverse cultures. "Local children have a strong sense of identity to the motherland and the Chinese nation. They are skilled in using the standard spoken and written Chinese language, and they identify themselves with the fine traditional Chinese culture. I believe ethnic unity will bloom better and better in Xinjiang," Muyassar Tohti concludes.
Photo by Zhang Jiamin
(Source: Women of China)
Editor: Lei Yang
