SHIJIAZHUANG -- A conference marking the inauguration of the University of Emergency Management was recently held in Langfang, North China's Hebei province.

Attending the inauguration event, Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing said that the establishment of the university was a major policy decision aimed at strengthening the cultivation of emergency management professionals and the development of related disciplines, as well as promoting the modernization of the emergency management system.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on the university to seize the opportunity and strive to make solid progress toward the goal of building a distinctive, world-class, and high-level applied research university, provide intellectual support for safeguarding people's lives and property, and promote the reform and development of the cause of emergency management.

Zhang urged the university to build disciplines and majors serving the fields of work safety, natural disaster prevention and control, and emergency rescue and relief in line with practical needs. He also emphasized the importance of practical training, with a view to cultivating talent who possess both theoretical knowledge and hands-on capabilities in emergency response.