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China encourages its universities to take initiative in international science and tech
- Ministry of Education says it aims this year to forge the country’s colleges into a national strategic innovation force
- Institutes will also be guided to commercialise the fruits of their research
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China will encourage its universities to take the international lead in science and technology tie-ups and help the country gain a “winning” innovation edge for the next two or three decades, according to the Ministry of Education.
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In a document released on the weekend, the ministry also said it would guide colleges to commercialise the fruits of their research.
The announcement comes amid China’s drive to become more self-reliant in critical technologies.
To reach that goal, Beijing aims – as part of its five-year plan until 2025 – to improve the country’s lacklustre performance in converting its growing R&D output into actual commercial innovations.
At the same time, China aims to become a major global science and innovation centre, in part by taking an active role in international science and technological cooperation, as underscored by a recent reprint in top state media of President Xi Jinping’s 2018 policy speech.
Those targets were echoed in the annual work plan for the ministry’s science, technology and informatisation department, released on its website over the weekend.
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