China to boost talent pool in science and technology with ‘world-class’ doctoral training

Authorities pledge to increase financial and policy support in key areas including medicine, engineering and emerging technologies

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Beijing has issued new guidelines urging Chinese universities to restructure their programmes to improve curriculums in key disciplines. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:16pm, 21 Oct 2024

Beijing is moving to boost the country’s talent ranks in the fields of science and technology by creating more doctoral programmes in key areas such as medicine, engineering and emerging fields.

The State Council – China’s cabinet – and the Communist Party’s Central Committee issued guidelines on Sunday calling on education authorities and universities to “deepen the comprehensive reform of doctoral education”, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The report said the document, which has not yet been published in full, calls for the creation of a “world-class doctoral education system with Chinese characteristics”, and for China to become “an important hub of doctoral education in the world”.

The guidelines urge Chinese universities to restructure their programmes to improve education curriculums in basic disciplines, including science, engineering, agriculture and medicine, and to increase the proportion of doctoral programmes among all degree programmes.

New guidelines urge universities to “cultivate national strategic talent and talent in short supply”. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Chinese universities should also “speed up the construction of disciplines in key areas” and “cultivate national strategic talent and talent in short supply”, the document said.