Nektarios Palaskas - EPFL

Embassy of Switzerland in China
China Briefing
Trends in China’s Science, Technology,
Education & Innovation Landscape
EPFL/March 21, 2013

Agenda
• Government handover November 2012 – March 2013
• STEI strategic frame-work in China
• Goals within the Five Year Plans
• China’s special focus / priorities
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Government handover November 2012 – March 2013
• Government handover in the midst of STEI strategy plans
• STEI governors, personal preferences and background
• MoST merging with MoE and MIIT
Reforms in STEI Governance
3

STEI strategic frame-work in China
• Long term strategy mapped out in a 15 year-plan
Medium and Long-Term Science and Technology Development Plan 2006-2020
• Education planning follows 10 year cycle
Medium and Long-Term Education Development Plan 2010-2020
• Short term are made every 5 years, based on long-term planning
Five Year Plan for Science and Technology & Education Development 2011-2015
• Complementary planning in STEI through State Council
ad-hoc guidelines
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Goals within the Five Year Plans
• Spur the development of an innovation-driven economy
Shift from „made-in-China“ to „create-in-China“ thanks to indigenous innovation
• Advancement of S&T for the benefit of economic growth
55% of economic growth triggered by own S&T advancement (40% in 2011)
High-tech sectors should account for 18% of total industrial growth (13% in 2011)
5

Goals within the Five Year Plans
• Reduce its dependence on foreign technologies
Less 30% dependence on foreign Technologies (approx. 40% in 2011)
Indicators: mega-sized space program, deep-sea expedition and supercomputer
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China’s special focus / priorities
1. Growing investment in science and education sector
2. Incentive packages to attract talents back to China
3. Promote collaborative innovation
4. International cooperation with Chinese Characteristics
Opportunities for international cooperation?
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1. Growing investment in science and education sector
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1. Growing investment in science and education sector
Project 985 & Project 211
Country 1-100 101- 200 201- 300 301-400 401- 500 Number of
Top 500
Universities
2011 China 0 1 6 5 11 23
2010 China 0 2 5 3 12 22
2009 China 0 0 6 2 10 18
2008 China 0 0 6 1 11 18
2007 China 0 1 5 2 6 13
2006 China 0 1 4 2 2 8
Jiaotong University Academic Performance Ranking
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1. Growing investment in science and education sector
Unit: 1 million people
25
20
15
10
5
0
15.6
Number of Chinese Researchers, Bachelor Students and
Graduate Students, 2005‐2010
17.3
18.8
20.2
21.4
22.3
1.36 1.5 1.73 1.96 2.29 2.55
0.97 1.1 1.2 1.23 1.4 1.53
No. of Researchers
No. of bachelor students
No. of graduate students
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Source: China Science and Technology Statistics 2011
China Education Statistics 2011
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2. Incentive packages to attract talents back to China
• 2.24 million Chinese students with international education experience
since 1978
• „Thousand Talent Plan“ offering a generous package (including
settlement stipend, starting research grant & easier access to S&T funds)
• Local governments, universities and RI have launched their own talent
incentive programs
• Strong and growing fundings from Chinese universities & RIs indicate
„fight for talents“ in the upcoming years
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3. Promote collaborative innovation
• Collaborative innovation considered as general trend in STEI
• Define roles for universities, research institutes and industries
independent vs. joint research prorgams
• Seven «strategic sectors» have been identified as a joint taks for
academia and the industry by the Chinese Government:
energy-saving & environmental protection, bio-technology, new energy,
new materials, new vehicles, advanced equipment manufacturing and
next generation information technology
• Development of innovation-friendly infrastructure
science & tech parks, joint labs, faculty exchange, entrepreneurship,
student training, demonstration centers…
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4. International cooperation with Chinese Characteristics
• International cooperation increasingly „China oriented“
• Joint research centers are welcomed (preconditions)
• MoE and MoST emphasize on long-term strategic partnerships
• CAS as driving force for future cooperation (China vs. abroad)
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5. Define roles of universities and research institutes
Figure 3: Central and Local Government S&T Appropriation in China (2000-2010)
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5. Define roles of universities and research institutes
Figure 4: Expenditure on R&D by players (2010)
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Thank you for your attention!
Nektarios Palaskas
Science & Technology Counsellor
nektarios.palaskas@eda.admin.ch
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