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Universities are not what they must be

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-05 07:57

A few days ago, Premier Wen Jiabao said some universities are very profit-oriented. The key reason for that is education in Chinese universities is trapped in administrative hierarchy, says an article in Shanghai Morning Post. Excerpts:

At a recent meeting where 10 educators voiced their opinions on the state of education in universities, Premier Wen Jiabao said some universities have become very profit-minded.

For more than a decade, the government has been trying to build world-class universities in China through its "985 project". Though there is a general agreement on the subject, the question is "how to do it". The "985 project" covers 43 universities and has been on for 11 years, but it has not yielded satisfactory results. In terms of achievement and talents, Chinese universities are getting further away from being "world-class" institutions. In fact, their credibility continues to decline.

What is the reason for that? Is it the lack of government input? Is it because society is yet to fully appreciate the role of university teachers? Or is the public being overhasty with its judgment of the situation?

None of the above is true. They are all excuses that university leaders give to seek more funds.

The fact is that university leaders compel researchers to hand them plenty of research work in a very short time to make their personal "political achievements" look better, and thus contribute to poor studies.

Many Chinese universities have far better hardware facilities than their more famous counterparts in the US and the UK. But still they are way behind in terms of glory because their academic activities are trapped in administrative hierarchy. This is a vital aspect the government has overlooked since the late 1990s, when it started the project to build world-class universities.

(China Daily 02/05/2010 page9)