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.

The key to such a transformation is intensifying the interaction between industry and education, plus the cooperation of institutions and enterprises. Successfully achieving this transformation will herald the country's efforts to build a modern vocational education system and accelerate the strategic restructuring of China's higher education system, Lu said at the International Forum on Industry and Education held in Zhumadian, Henan province, at the weekend.

A modern vocational education system features lifelong education, where training is made available whenever the need arises. In addition, it should include programs of many levels, ranging from higher diplomas to master's and even doctoral degrees, as some parents are reluctant to send their children to vocational colleges partly because they do not offer master's or doctoral degrees as academic universities do.

Ultimately, the Chinese higher education system will consist of two complementary sectors, academic universities and universities of applied sciences, as is the case in European countries such as Germany, Finland and Switzerland. This will ensure a workforce tailor-made to serve the country's economic and social development.

There are 647 poorly performing universities, set up since 1999 and accounting for 55.3 percent of China's total, that need to be transformed. Most of these bachelor degree providers established since 1999 are run by regional governments, and nearly 100 of them are jointly operated with foreign partners or were set up with private investment. Launched in provincial capitals or other big cities, these universities were designed to meet the craze for higher education and serve regional development. However, they offer almost identical majors - half of these universities focus on seven majors, including English, computer science, art and design, marketing and international business and trade, according to a report the National Institute of Education Sciences released earlier this year. They have proved to be very "weak" in terms of serving the local economy, having scanty connections with local industries, and few research and development achievements, said the report.