Prestige vs progress: what stops China’s researchers from chasing big new ideas?
Bogged down by an incentive system favouring titles over innovation, young scientists struggle for academic support amid Beijing’s self-reliance push
Now, as an associate professor at an elite university in eastern China, Shen spends less than a third of his time on actual research, as other duties such as supervising student projects, keep cutting into time for his own projects.
“I had expected connections and reputation to matter,” said Shen, whose grant applications have repeatedly fallen through. “But they turned out to be even more important than I thought.”
“To pursue truly original ideas, you need to invest a huge amount of time and effort,” he said, declining to be identified by his full name. “But because of these practical constraints, I don’t really dare to go all in.”
Shen’s frustrations reflect a deeper concern.