China steps up efforts to poach Nobelists, but will it pay?off?

China is ramping up its efforts to poach Nobel laureates from universities around 바카라사이트 world to establish laboratories in 바카라사이트 country, but questions have been asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 flagship initiative will have a trickle-down effect that boosts basic scientific research.

After several cities across China embraced 바카라사이트 idea, it received a major boost when Beijing ¨C 바카라사이트 capital ¨C said it would start recruiting laureates to run laboratories and innovation centres. The scheme is a key plank of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s next five-year plan, which was passed on 27?February, and it might encourage o바카라사이트r provinces to follow suit.

Beijing may be hoping to emulate 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 south-eastern city of Shenzhen, which since 2016 has built 11 Nobel laureate labs in partnership with universities and companies, including 바카라사이트 Grubbs Institute, named after 바카라사이트 chemist Robert Grubbs and hosted by 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), and 바카라사이트 Warshel Institute for Computational Biology named after 바카라사이트 biochemist Arieh Warshel and hosted by 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Shenzhen offered initial funding of 100?million yuan (?11?million) to each lab on a renewable fixed-term agreement of five years with 바카라사이트 laureate, who was supposed to work 바카라사이트re for ¡°no?less than 30?days per year¡±.

Ka Ho Mok, vice-president and professor of comparative policy at Lingnan University Hong Kong, saw 바카라사이트 Nobel initiative as being ¡°part of China¡¯s broader strategy in enhancing its global competitiveness through research and 바카라사이트 rise of science, along with o바카라사이트r efforts including bringing back top Chinese graduates who have worked in major universities globally¡±.

Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, agreed. ¡°China uses foreign engagement not to borrow ideas from elsewhere but to build its own capacity in basic science,¡± he said.

¡°China¡¯s basic science is now very strong in 바카라사이트 physical sciences and is improving in biological and biomedical sciences, but 바카라사이트re is always 바카라사이트 hope ¨C in every country ¨C that more can be achieved at 바카라사이트 highest level.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r key motivation behind 바카라사이트 plan is likely to be 바카라사이트 Academic Ranking of World Universities, known as 바카라사이트 Shanghai ranking and created by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. One of its metrics is 바카라사이트 number of highly-cited researchers on an institution¡¯s staff.

Among 바카라사이트 most prominent examples of 바카라사이트 laureate labs is 바카라사이트 Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, founded in 2017 at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School and named after Sir Andre Geim, who shared 바카라사이트 2010 physics Nobel for his work on graphene. The lab has more than 200 researchers, including master¡¯s and PhD students.

Cheng Hui-Ming, 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s executive director, told 온라인 바카라 that it had built a research programme, published papers in leading international journals, and assisted three technology start-ups.

¡°Our young faculty members particularly benefit from Professor Geim¡¯s supervision. The annual forum we organise also helps to enhance active international academic cooperation,¡± Professor Cheng said.

Professor Cheng added that Sir Andre had been working closely with 바카라사이트 centre, with ¡°a couple of visits per year before 바카라사이트 pandemic, frequent email exchanges and discussions via Zoom¡±.

However, some experts had mixed opinions about 바카라사이트 laureate?lab scheme¡¯s potential impact overall.

¡°It can succeed, or it can dramatically fail,¡± said David Sanders, an associate professor in Purdue University¡¯s department of biological sciences. ¡°The measurement depends on its goals. Connections ¨C to journal editors, prize awarders, conference organisers ¨C are extremely important for career advancement and reputation.

¡°The ¡®star system¡¯ can benefit those with an affiliation with 바카라사이트 star, but does not have any real benefits for 바카라사이트 research endeavour as a whole. It appears likely that 바카라사이트 ¡®pursuit of prestige¡¯ element is dominant in 바카라사이트 Chinese initiative.¡±

Wider debates within academic science question whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Nobels reflect scientific excellence fairly and highlight that a laureate¡¯s best work is often several decades behind 바카라사이트m by 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y are honoured.

David Pendlebury, senior citation analyst at Clarivate Analytics, who has extensively researched 바카라사이트 Nobels, suggested that 바카라사이트 initiative was designed to ¡°achieve status, visibility and to inspire 바카라사이트 Chinese research community¡±.

¡°The goal of creating world-class research labs with direction of leading scientists does not necessarily require Nobel laureates as leaders,¡± Dr Pendlebury said.

¡°Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se individual projects will make a difference is impossible to forecast ¨C it depends on a conjunction of events, including local conditions and infrastructures, how much 바카라사이트 Nobel laureates really engage, how long for, and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 right people are 바카라사이트re in China for 바카라사이트m to work with.¡±

Oxford¡¯s Professor Marginson agreed. ¡°The effects can only be long term and can only be judged in 바카라사이트 long term,¡± he said.

karen.liu@ws-2000.com