BEIJING -- China's national college entrance exam, or gaokao, kicked off on Tuesday. A record 11.93 million students across the country have registered for this year's exam.

President Xi Jinping has on many occasions shared his insights on higher education, from building world-class universities to suggestions on how to spend the years on campus.

The following are some highlights of Xi's remarks.

-- University is a place not just for academic studies but for seeking truth.

-- China, with its unique history, distinctive culture and special national context, cannot blindly follow others or simply copy foreign standards and models to build world-class universities of its own. Instead, the country must proceed from its realities and blaze a new path to building world-class universities with Chinese characteristics.

-- We should support qualified colleges and universities in their efforts to grow into leading institutions. But we should not place them in a hierarchy, rather we should encourage each college or university to highlight its own strengths and strive to build first-class disciplines and facilities.

-- For China to build world-class socialist universities with Chinese characteristics and to cultivate the next generation of socialists, there must be world-class professors.

-- Young people are in the prime time of learning. You should regard learning as a top priority, a responsibility, a moral support and a lifestyle. You should establish a conviction that dreams start from learning and career success depends on competence. You should make assiduous learning a driving force and competence building a resource for your youthful endeavors.

-- I hope that you will not only concentrate on book knowledge but also care about the people, the country and the world, and assume your responsibility for society.