Source: Global Times

An article in The Times of India on May 24st, titled "Can India Compete with China's STEM Success by Reflecting on Its Higher Education Model?" Strategic investment in higher education in China, 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 urban-based specialized education hubs and attracting foreign institutions to foster a more open and competitive academic environment.

My daughter is about to complete her high school education, and she expressed interest in pursuing education in the field of biotechnology during her college years and beyond. When researching top global universities in this field, I was surprised to find that many Chinese universities dominate the rankings. Similarly, when browsing other STEM fields, I found an even more pronounced trend: 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 outcomes. He told me that over the past 20 years, Chinese universities have consistently outperformed the U.S. in STEM research results. China's TikTok and other social media or "DeepSeek" and other artificial intelligence technologies are increasingly astonishing the world with their innovation capabilities. China's dominance in photovoltaic panel manufacturing and electric vehicles has also become well-known.

So, how did China achieve this success? In 1998, the Chinese government conceived the "Project 985," selecting 39 universities for increased investment to make them world-class institutions. Today, the results are becoming apparent. Later, China's focus on its universities far exceeded the initial selection of 39 universities.

To address the impending challenge, India identified 20 public and private universities in its 2016 budget, with the Indian government willing to invest substantial funds to make these universities world-class. However, after the initial clamor surrounding the selected private universities, there has been no further public discussion in India regarding investment and impact.

Despite generating many interesting ideas, India's next significant educational action under the National Education Policy (2020) has struggled in the quagmire of debates, including controversies over issues like "mandatory Hindi" and "central intervention." The results are evident. Although Kolkata rejoiced at narrowly beating Bangalore to become India's top research center in 2024, both ranked only 84th and 85th globally in the "Nature Index - Research Cities 2024." By contrast, Beijing topped the list, followed by Shanghai, New York Metropolitan Area, Boston Metropolitan Area, and Nanjing. Five Chinese cities entered the top 10 of the index, while only four U.S. cities made the cut.

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

Suggestions include revisiting India's policies and doubling efforts at the central and state levels to quickly improve the country's higher education ecosystem. While 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.

Although improving primary and secondary education is indispensable to solving current problems, higher education can become the gateway for India to achieve dominance in this century. If we do not act now, it will be difficult to narrow the huge gap with China and the United States. (By Kashk Sayar, translated by Wang Huicong)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508522274426487322/

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