Market needs, not lots, should decide majors

The Department of Civil Engineering at University of South China in Hengyang, Hunan province, reportedly asked its 500 fresh students to decide their majors in a creative way: the top 200 students in terms of academic performance got an opportunity to choose, while the remaining 300 drew lots. Comments:

In fact, the University's drawing of lots is obviously against market forces. But it is the result of the college's flawed recruitment plan and specialties that have failed to meet the demands of the job market. Higher educational institutions should be able to recruit students based on what the market wants, instead of being a production line for cloned graduates with identical skills. They are responsible for the students' future careers and must be aware of employers' ever-changing demands.

People's Daily, Sept 14