China's attempts to promote scientific research and innovation have yet to overcome setbacks caused by a “title-driven” system of academic resource allocation, analysts have warned.
However, the current research environment, which is a key factor in nurturing new talent, is still “somewhat distorted” by the way subsidies are provided, Liao Wang, a magazine affiliated with state news agency Xinhua, said in an article this week. I warned you. .
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Many Chinese scientists still face hurdles in overcoming bias in their research. Grant applications are evaluated by “heavyweights'' in the field, and researchers who have already earned a “title'' in a particular prestigious program tend to receive preferential treatment.
According to the article, this created “a cycle in which resources continue to circulate among a small number of people.”
“These titles naturally bring more power and funding, leading researchers to prefer research that yields immediate results rather than spending time on projects that require long-term commitment.” ” the article's authors write, quoting several working Chinese scientists.
“It's not because people aren't interested in the field, it's because progress takes time,” said the researcher, who chose to remain anonymous. “People can't afford to wait.”
While these grants provide recipients with subsidies worth tens of thousands of yuan, they are also attracting attention as a window into how administrative and bureaucratic power shapes academic research in China.
Two of China's leading scientists, Egon Shi and Yi Lao, wrote in an article in the research journal Science in 2010 that “In order to win large grants in China, you need to do good research.'' “It's an open secret that it's not as important as arguing with powerful bureaucrats and their bureaucrats.” Your favorite expert. ”
The country's leaders have repeatedly cited an unreasonable talent evaluation system in science and technology fields and called for changes to ease the administrative burden on academics.
“The current evaluation system is not rational. At the beginning of the 19th Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2018, President Xi Jinping said, “Talent is evaluated based on the amount of publications, titles, qualifications, and awards received. “These 'titles' are being thrown around all over the place,” he said.
The issue of “titles'' has misled young people.If we don't fix it, we will corrupt the academic spirit of an entire generation.
However, these issues have not yet been resolved. At a meeting of the Central Committee on Recruitment-related Affairs held in September 2021, President Xi reiterated his concerns and said that resources should be allocated through a “simplified” approach where salaries and subsidies are determined solely by the title of the program. He said it should not be assigned.
Liao Wang's article also criticized some universities for imposing age restrictions on young scholars when applying for grants, which is contrary to the practice of other universities.
“I'm quite worried. The issue of 'titles' has been misleading young people. If we fail to correct it, we will corrupt the academic spirit of an entire generation,” Yuan Yaxiang, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in March.
Since 2017, China has published more scientific papers each year than any other country, but it also has one of the highest retraction rates in the world. According to the international scientific journal Nature, since 2021, there have been more than 17,000 retractions of papers with Chinese co-authors.
