The conference started with IICE Professor MA Jiansheng’s introduction of the book purpose, research process, methodology employed, and the overall structure of the book. GUAN Jie (headmaster of Beijing No. 18 Middle School), ZHOU Lifang (headmaster of Chengdu Yangliuciji Primary School) and WANG Jun (headmaster of Hefei Gedadian Primary School) talked about how they were influenced by the book Research on Chinese Schools and how they applied the book into practical school governance. The conference highly recognized the significance of the book Research on Chinese Schools in presenting a panoramic look at Chinese schools based on empirical studies. IICE Professor WANG Yingjie and Professor YUAN Zhenguo from East China Normal University highlighted the positive significance of the book in employing the method of empirical study and uncluttered story telling from a macro perspective. Professor Fred Dervin from Helsinki University and Professor David Turner from BNU praised the significance of the book in bringing foreign readers to a better understanding of Chinese schools by telling the story of how Chinese schools experienced reforms all the way, echoed by Professor ZHANG Dongjiao from BNU and LIU Huarong (Senior Editor from China Education Press Agency).

Many other representatives from such press and journals as Guangming Daily, China Education Daily, Comparative Education Research (Chinese Version), Aisixiang Net, China Daily Website, and Frontiers of Education in China also attended the conference.