On January 1, 1981, China officially implemented the degree system. Since the 1950s, the attempt to establish a degree system has failed to be implemented due to the influence of the extreme "left" thinking and the "cultural revolution".In 1976, the degree group of the Ministry of Education and the State Council of Science and Technology Bureau jointly organized, drafted the "Degree Regulations of the People's Republic of China" (Draft), was revised and revised on February 15, 1980 by the Thirteenth Meeting of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress.

On June 16th, 1982, my country held the first doctoral thesis defense meeting. Six people, including Ma Zhongqi, Xie Huimin, Li Shangzhi, Zhao Lincheng, Bai Zhidong and Feng Yulin, received doctoral degrees. Except Feng Wanglin, who received a doctoral degree in engineering, the other five people received doctoral degrees in science. It has become the first batch of doctors trained since the formal implementation of the degree system in China.

On October 19, 1983, the first batch of liberal arts doctors were trained in China.