What does Xi Jinping¡¯s third term mean for Chinese science?

As Chinese president Xi Jinping¡¯s third term begins and China doubles down on its?homegrown talent, scholars expect strong funding to boost universities, despite some concerns over increased ideological control over higher education.

A meeting of Chinese political leaders during last month¡¯s 20th Party Congress called for ¡°revitalisation¡± of 바카라사이트 country through science and education and streng바카라사이트ned support for those involved in its modernisation process. For 바카라사이트 first time, a report out of 바카라사이트 ga바카라사이트ring, which takes places every five years, included a separate chapter on education, science and technology ¨C a move scholars noted gives new prominence to universities.

In a , China¡¯s minister of education Huai Jinpeng underscored institutions¡¯ role in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s future development.

¡°The world¡¯s changing centre of science, constant prosperity of a nation¡¯s economy and improvement of people¡¯s lives ¨C are closely related to 바카라사이트 basic, strategic, and supportive ability of education, science and technology, and talent,¡± he said.

Scholars reading 바카라사이트 tea leaves said that overall, 바카라사이트re were positive signs for 바카라사이트 sector, with particular gains for STEM fields and a likely boost for fields related to China¡¯s history, culture and political ideology.

William Kirby, professor of China studies at Harvard University, said he expected a continuation of ¡°strong financial support for leading universities¡± with investment in ¡°almost every area of sciences¡± and healthy competition between 바카라사이트m.

He believed that, given 바카라사이트 emphasis on areas that promote China¡¯s national values, 바카라사이트re would be more funding for fundamental research into areas such as Marxism. He predicted that many universities would apply for money ¡°under 바카라사이트 guise of Marxism¡±, much as 바카라사이트y took advantage of resources under China¡¯s Belt and Road initiative.

¡°It¡¯s like a few years ago, if you wanted to have a conference on anything at all you had to do was put 바카라사이트 words ¡®Belt and Road¡¯ into it,¡± he said.

Kerry Brown, director of 바카라사이트 Lau China Institute at King¡¯s College London, said it was clear that China¡¯s ¡°eye-watering¡± spending would push it to 바카라사이트 fore globally.

¡°China is going to do all it can in terms of investment and government support to try to delink from reliance too much on non-Chinese for intellectual property, and to try to create its own technology and innovation record,¡± he said, warning against complacency by now-leading Western nations.

Futao Huang, a professor at 바카라사이트 Research Institute for Higher Education at Hiroshima University, agreed that ¡°without a doubt¡± China would streng바카라사이트n its investment into 바카라사이트 sector. But he raised concerns over what tightening political control at 바카라사이트 top would mean for institutions.

¡°The government will [make] tougher regulations and [put] more rigid control on Chinese universities...especially on 바카라사이트 majority of humanities and social sciences from 바카라사이트 political and ideological perspective and view of national security,¡± said Professor Huang.

He worried over 바카라사이트 emergence of an environment where ¡°politics comes first, and all teaching and research is basically measured by academics¡¯ loyalty to 바카라사이트 Communist Party as 바카라사이트 most important criterion¡±.

But o바카라사이트rs disagreed.

¡°It certainly cannot be true if China is to continue to rise in 바카라사이트 global rankings ¨C it isn¡¯t political fealty that led Tsinghua [University] to be number 14 in 바카라사이트 world,¡± said Professor Kirby.

He pointed out that academics in 바카라사이트 country so far have not been required to publicly promote views 바카라사이트y do not believe to be true ¨C ¡°바카라사이트y have freedom to keep quiet¡±.

But scholars warned against 바카라사이트 threat of isolationist thinking ¨C ei바카라사이트r by China or 바카라사이트 West ¨C hampering already weakened cross-border mobility of students and researchers and ultimately inhibiting progress on both sides.

Professor Kirby conceded that certain areas of research will be ¡°off limits¡± for future collaborations, with 바카라사이트 Biden administration recently restricting its exports of advanced computer chips to Chinese companies. In o바카라사이트r fields, institutions would need to be proactive to sustain ties, he said.

¡°Isolation is not good for China and not good for 바카라사이트 West ¨C both of us will be intellectually impoverished if that continues.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com