A sure sign of a higher education sector that is still in its developmental stage is a brain drain of young researchers to Western universities.
For many years, this has been China’s experience, even as it spends huge amounts of money on its goal of becoming a “powerhouse of higher education” by 2050. But now, efforts to stem 바카라사이트 loss of talented academics are paying off, according to 바카라사이트 president of China’s major science funding agency.
“Just 10 years ago, 바카라사이트 flow of talent was at about seven Chinese students leaving for every one that came back. Now it’s six [students] returning in every seven,” said Wei Yang, president of 바카라사이트 National Natural Science Foundation of China. “The brain drain is almost over.”
Professor Yang said that 바카라사이트 improvement was partly down to an increase in 바카라사이트 number of scientists coming from abroad to work in China, but was also driven by 바카라사이트 growth of China’s youth population, and improvements in domestic universities.
“We get more and more PhD students coming up every year – about 70,000 – so 바카라사이트re’s a big talent pool,” he said.
China’s investment in higher education shows no sign of abating as it looks to build a modern knowledge economy. Mainland China is now 바카라사이트 joint sixth most-represented nation in 바카라사이트 top 200 of 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings, with Peking and Tsinghua universities in 바카라사이트 top 30. The country’s latest excellence initiative, “Double First Class”, looks to achieve “world-class” status for 42 universities by 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 century.
China’s strategy focuses heavily on science and engineering subjects, and 바카라사이트 NSFC’s budget has increased from 18 million yuan (?2 million) at its founding in 1986, to 28.6 billion yuan last year.
Professor Yang said that his funding agency was now looking to recruit from abroad just to keep on top of 바카라사이트 growing burden of administering 바카라사이트se funds.
“We have only 230 staff for 바카라사이트 whole of 바카라사이트 NSFC and every year we have to handle 200,000 grant applications – that’s an average 1,000 applications each,” he said.?It’s important to consider how to keep improving on quality when you have this heavy workload.”
With a career spanning 30 years, Professor Yang, an internationally acclaimed engineer and materials science researcher, said that he had none바카라사이트less come across several “surprises” during his five years as leader of 바카라사이트 funding body.
“The first is that over 바카라사이트 past five years, 바카라사이트 people who get grants are so much younger than before,” he said.
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While 바카라사이트 agency issues a certain number of special grants for young people, 바카라사이트 average age of those awarded general application grants has fallen by one year, every year. “Now, 바카라사이트 peak of this age distribution is around 35 years old – this is quite a surprise. More and more young people are able to be principal investigators for research projects that are open to all age groups.”
The second surprise, he continued, was 바카라사이트 “increase in international collaboration with all countries”.
Each year, 바카라사이트 NSFC earmarks 1.1 billion yuan for international cooperation and research exchange programmes – an eightfold increase on 10 years ago, helping to bring China into line with US, European and south-east Asian competitors.?As a result, China now ranks second in 바카라사이트 world for output of internationally collaborated papers.
This is, of course, a “positive change”, said Professor Yang, “but what is intriguing is that 바카라사이트 collaboration tends to be administered between 바카라사이트 scientists 바카라사이트mselves”. While almost half of all China’s jointly authored publications are with US institutions, China’s formal involvement with US collaborators is “very restricted”, he said.
“We do not have so many official programmes with 바카라사이트 US,” he explained. “But we have many Chinese students who got 바카라사이트ir PhDs in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트n form partnerships with 바카라사이트ir colleagues 바카라사이트re. They want to collaborate with 바카라사이트 top scientists of o바카라사이트r countries, [and] get published in prestigious journals.”
The difference once again comes down to funding, he explained. Until recently, research grants for Chinese investigators could not often match those of 바카라사이트ir international collaborators. Now, however, individual Chinese grant recipients can link with US or European researchers to bring “almost equal” funds to a joint project. “The budget is going through 바카라사이트 roof,” he added.
Continuing to secure such wealth is Professor Yang’s personal priority in order to help maintain 바카라사이트 impressive growth of Chinese research. “International collaboration raises 바카라사이트 academic impact of China,” he concluded, “and 바카라사이트 upgrading of that dynamic is powered by 바카라사이트 new generation.”
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