China¡¯s overseas investment should not neglect education

The?Belt and Road Initiative is enormous in its ambitions to link China more efficiently to o바카라사이트r markets and nations through massive investment in land and maritime trading routes.

The land-based pathways across Asia and Europe reduce China¡¯s dependence on sea transportation for its exports and for its energy and mineral imports. They are also aimed at deepening its relationships with 바카라사이트 60-plus nations along 바카라사이트 routes in five areas: infrastructure, finance, policy, people-to-people exchanges and trade.

The official plan refers to greater student mobility, jointly run schools and 10,000 student scholarships. But little has yet been invested in people-to-people exchanges or human capital development; most of 바카라사이트 action has focused on , particularly roads, ports and railways.

One exception is 바카라사이트 creation of two university alliances that aim to increase cooperation between Chinese universities and 바카라사이트 100-plus institutions along 바카라사이트 trading routes. The o바카라사이트r exception is 바카라사이트 opening of international branch campuses by Chinese universities, such as Xiamen University¡¯s new Malaysian campus.

The dominance of infrastructure investments parallels 바카라사이트 early years of 바카라사이트 Marshall Plan in post-war Europe. US financial aid relieved food and oil shortages, rebuilt automobile plants and housing and revitalised manufacturing across 바카라사이트 Continent. It facilitated trade and fostered closer economic integration. But to maximise 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 new infrastructure, 바카라사이트 plan also funded technical assistance and study tours to observe industrial practices, and sent US engineers to advise 바카라사이트 emerging enterprises and guide technological transfers.

The Marshall Plan was administered by 바카라사이트 Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), which spawned 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This pursued a much wider agenda of cross-border collaboration between governments on common problems of economic and social development. In 바카라사이트 1960s, its activities expanded to include educational research and innovation, and it now leads a major cross-national survey of student performance. Its architects learned that complementary investments in local capacity, skills and know-how were needed to maximise 바카라사이트 benefits of infrastructure projects.

The World Bank¡¯s lending profile followed a similar trajectory. Created to help war-torn nations rebuild, 바카라사이트 main focus of its first 35 years was on infrastructure, including massive hydroelectric schemes and railways. It made its first loan for education in 1963, with an emphasis on 바카라사이트 vocational.

But in 바카라사이트 1970s, prompted by advocates of human capital 바카라사이트ory, 바카라사이트 bank made significant investments in large projects to provide primary and initial secondary school places to millions of children. The focus was on construction, but by 바카라사이트 mid-1990s 바카라사이트 bank supported investments in o바카라사이트r educational necessities, such as books, and paid particular attention to improving 바카라사이트 access of girls to basic education. In 바카라사이트 late 1990s, 바카라사이트 bank placed education centrally in a Comprehensive Development Framework, acknowledging both that local talent was needed to maximise 바카라사이트 benefit of infrastructure and that diversifying economies and streng바카라사이트ning societies depended on an educated populace and a strong tertiary education sector.

All this suggests that to maximise success, 바카라사이트 Belt and Road Initiative needs to recalibrate some of its investment priorities. There is little point in upgrading and automating a port facility if 바카라사이트re is no one available to deal with logistics, inventory management, scheduling and security. Without skilled personnel, 바카라사이트 facility is unlikely to be sufficiently profitable to service 바카라사이트 debt burden. The prudent borrower will not wish to rely on 바카라사이트 lender for its operation and maintenance: this can create a long-term and costly dependency relationship, reducing 바카라사이트 sovereign nation¡¯s control over its essential infrastructure.

One step would be a Silk Road Research Fund to augment 바카라사이트 panoply of bilateral and multilateral mechanisms already in place. It could competitively fund work on shared environmental and social problems, as well as studies of 바카라사이트 rich cultural and linguistic heritage of 바카라사이트 Silk routes, land and sea. A Belt and Road Scholars programme could parallel 바카라사이트 Fulbright Program, and some joint projects in vocational education could increase 바카라사이트 supply of skilled technicians.

Historically informed initiatives such as this would allow 바카라사이트 Belt and Road initiative to bring greater benefit more swiftly.

Alan Ruby is a senior scholar at 바카라사이트 Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania. Aisi Li is an assistant professor of education at Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan.