China greenlights new sci-tech colleges for growing talent demand

BEIJING, June 15 (Xinhua) -- China has greenlighted the establishment of several new undergraduate universities and vocational colleges specializing in science and technology, aiming to cultivate talent aligned with the evolving demands of economic development.

According to the latest circular from the Ministry of Education, the list of new campuses includes two research universities in the country's south and east.

Notable among them is the Great Bay University (GBU), set in the city of Dongguan at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The institution is positioned as a research university that can play a leading role in future technological advances, industrial upgrading and social progress.

Wang Jun, former president of the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, stated that the GBU focuses on cultivating high-level, innovative talent in fields such as mathematics, physics, computer science, materials science and industrial engineering, aligning with economic modernization.

"Educational development of the Greater Bay Area should target more cutting-edge tech innovations," Wang said, stating the need to strengthen interactions between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao universities in basic research and application.

The Eastern Institute for Advanced Study (EIAS) in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, the other new research university on the list, focuses on basic research, cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields and engineering technology.

With the majority of its funds being non-governmental, EIAS said it plans to start recruiting undergraduate students this year, while striving to develop into a world-class university in the coming decades.

In addition, the ministry also gave consent to setting up two new colleges in Xinjiang, a vast and ethnically diverse region in northwest China encompassing rich landforms ranging from plateaus to gobi deserts.

The two new campuses, one in the city of Alaer and the other in Tumxuk, are both located on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert in the southern part of Xinjiang.

Liu Baicang, vice president of the Aksu Education Institute, told Xinhua that the move is conducive to boosting educational equity and regional development.

"The new colleges are expected to alleviate the shortage of educational resources in southern Xinjiang and increase the prevalence of higher education there," Liu said.

In the long term, the move will provide talent support for Xinjiang's major industrial clusters and promote high-quality economic development, Liu added.

In response to the changing demands of the job market, China is adjusting its higher education system to effectively prepare young individuals with the necessary skills to successfully navigate the employment landscape of the decade ahead.

This year, universities and colleges across the country have introduced 29 new majors, many of which are aligned with national strategic priorities in emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, carbon neutrality, and the low-altitude economy.

Ms. Fan, whose son is a first-grader at a senior high school in Beijing, said they would consider choosing newly established universities two years from now.

In her view, these new universities are poised to receive ample policy backing during their formative years, which will result in enhanced opportunities for students.

Nevertheless, she expressed her apprehensions, saying, "We must wait and observe if these universities are developing in a way that meets our expectations. Only time will tell." ■