The Times of India, May 24th article, original title: Can India Compete with China's STEM Success by Reflecting on Its Higher Education Model?

China's strategic investment in higher education, particularly through the "Project 985," has propelled Chinese universities to global leadership in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. Despite India's efforts such as the introduction of the National Education Policy (2020), it has fallen behind due to implementation difficulties and ongoing debates. To compete with China, India should focus on developing specialized education hubs based in cities and attracting foreign institutions to foster a more open and competitive academic environment.

My daughter is about to complete high school, and she expressed interest in continuing her education in biotechnology during her university years and beyond. When researching top universities globally in this field, I was surprised to find that numerous Chinese universities dominate the rankings. Upon exploring other STEM fields, I discovered similar or even more pronounced situations: more Chinese universities rank at the forefront, especially in computer science and artificial intelligence.

I recalled a conversation with a professor friend in the U.S., who has been tracking China's research achievements. He told me that over the past 20 years, Chinese universities have consistently outperformed those in the U.S. in STEM research results. China's TikTok and emerging artificial intelligence technologies like "DeepSeek" are astonishing the world. China's dominance in photovoltaic panel manufacturing and electric vehicles is also widely recognized.

So, how did China achieve this success? In 1998, the Chinese government conceptualized the "Project 985," later selecting 39 universities for increased investment to make them world-class institutions. The effects of these efforts are now becoming evident. Later, China's focus on its universities extended far beyond the initial selection of 39 universities.

To address impending challenges, India identified 20 public and private universities in its 2016 budget, with the government willing to invest substantial funds to make these universities world-class. However, after the initial uproar over the selected private universities, discussions about investment and impact faded from public discourse in India.

Although many interesting ideas emerged, India's next significant educational action under the National Education Policy (2020) has struggled to progress amid debates, including controversies over "mandatory Hindi promotion" and "central intervention." The outcomes are clear. While Kolkata rejoiced at narrowly beating Bengaluru to become India's top research center in 2024, both ranked only 84th and 85th globally in the "2024 Nature Index—Research Cities."

In contrast, Beijing tops the list in this ranking, followed by Shanghai, the New York metropolitan area, the Boston metropolitan area, and Nanjing. Five Chinese cities made it into the top 10 of this index, while only four American cities did so.

Facing China's strategy of concentrating on the development of higher education, can India compete in a similar manner? For success, India should consider two points: first, India should not attempt to turn individual universities into isolated islands of academia and research but seek to transform relevant cities into centers for disciplines such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, and climate technology. Second, Indian cities possess strong academic institutions that can initially leverage these institutions to excel in a particular field, then cultivate talent in future critical areas, eventually transforming them into comprehensive talent hubs offering innovation, commercialization, and consultation perspectives.

Suggestions include reexamining India's policies and doubling efforts at the central and state levels to rapidly improve India's higher education ecosystem. Although India should continue to focus on building local institutions, it is undeniable that introducing competition from foreign universities and accessing internationally recognized academic resources will provide immense opportunities and motivation for Indian scholars.

While improving primary and secondary education is indispensable for solving current issues, higher education could become the gateway for India to assert its dominance in this century. If we do not act now, it will be difficult to narrow the vast gap between India and China and the United States. (Author Kashik Sayal, translated by Wang Huicong)

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508753288662106662/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's views. Feel free to express your stance by clicking the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" buttons below.