Building universities of applied sciences

Chinese universities have been churning out graduates by the millions each year, but an increasing number of graduates find it tough landing a job. Meanwhile, enterprises are complaining they have difficulty recruiting skilled workers that meet their requirements.

The root cause of these problems, according to Lu Xin, vice-minister of education, is the structural problem in the country's higher education system and the way it grooms talent, as it lays far more emphasis on academic universities than on universities of applied sciences.

To remedy this situation, a batch of lackluster-performing universities will be transformed into universities of applied sciences, so that they train professionals in response to market needs and help promote regional development.