The quality of postgraduate education needs improvement to prepare more talents for the building of a well-off society, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a work conference on postgraduate education, Liu said the key to realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation is education and talents, and that postgraduate study is the main source of innovation-oriented skilled personnel.

Since China's reform and opening up more than 30 years ago, the country has cultivated 490,000 graduates with doctoral degrees and 4.26 million with master's degrees, providing backbones for the development of all fields, she said.

China needs to reform the education model, keep balanced development of academic and professional education and improve the system of quality supervision. Students must strengthen their sense of social responsibilities, scientific spirit as well as innovative and practical abilities, she added.

Liu called for closer cooperation between universities and research institutes as well as enterprises. International cooperation and exchanges should also be widened, the vice premier urged.