Deng Hui of Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, who's also a NPC deputy. [Photo by Jiang Xingguang/chinadaily.com.cn]

The essence of building double first-class universities is innovation, said Deng Hui, vice president of Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, who is also a NPC deputy in an exclusive interview with chinadaily.com.cn on March 4.

The term "double first-class university" refers to the terms "world-class university" and "first-class discipline", which were approved by China's national deepening reform lead group in 2016 as a new impetus for the development of China's higher education sector.

"Innovation can lead to entrepreneurship," said professor Deng. "A school without distinctive characteristics can never become an authentic double first-class university," he said.

The two sessions -- the annual gatherings of the nation's top legislature and its top political advisory body-- start in early March. The NPC session opens on March 5, 2017, two days after the CPPCC National Committee session gets underway. Some 5,000 participants from the NPC and the CPPCC National Committee will attend the event.

As a scholar in law, professor Deng pays high attention to college innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2016, as the NPC deputy, he proposed a motion to explore the diversity in entrepreneurship education in college.

Interdisciplinary development is a key way to foster innovation, added Deng, saying that as a leading university in economics and management nationwide, his school is mixing traditional disciplines with newly-added ones.

In Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, newly opened faculties, such as the School of Information Management, the School of Tourism and Urban Management and the School of Law, are special because they blend majors, explained Deng.

Foreign talents can also help to boost the scientific research capacity of a university, and thus its innovation ability.

"We have employed scholars from Australia and improves the international financial research center," said Deng.

Distinguished scholars from Singapore also joined the university and enhanced its School of Information Management.

According to its website, the university is committed to a future as a distinctive high-level university of finance and economics, and has established intercollegiate relationships with more than 85 higher institutions in 18 countries and regions.