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Scientists hope a major restructuring of China’s science ministry will mean more efficiency and innovation, but concerns linger. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s ‘two sessions’ 2023: will science shake-up strengthen innovation or ‘shock’ scientists?

  • Researchers hope reforms to science ministry will mean more efficiency and innovation
  • But changes also raise concerns about potential unfairness in funding decisions
Science
A major overhaul planned for the government agency that oversees fundamental research and applied science in China is meant to make the ministry more efficient and stimulate innovation, experts said.

But some also warned the restructuring of the Ministry of Science and Technology could create new problems.

The plan – part of a sweeping regulatory shake-up by the State Council, China’s cabinet – was announced on Tuesday during an annual gathering of lawmakers in Beijing to help counter US efforts to maintain its dominance over leading-edge technology.

The changes would see many of the ministry’s management and subordinate agencies, which are responsible for rural development, social development and hi-tech development, handed over to other ministries with specific expertise in those areas, according to state media reports.

Until now, the science ministry has also been responsible for funding decisions and assessment for such projects – assessments that were closely related to research publication and awards.

Those funding decisions will now be made by other agencies and the science ministry will have more of a broader monitoring role.

‘Two sessions’ proposals call for China’s own CHIPS Act and supply chain heads

Professor Liu Zunfeng, a materials scientist at Nankai University, said the overhaul was a signal that researchers and their work would no longer be judged by “thesis only, professional title only, diploma only and awards only”.

“Right now, the level of publications is a major indicator in application for scientific projects. Scientists have to cater to journals to publish their work,” Liu said.

He said journals preferred novel topics rather than deep research, skewing the kind of work scientists would do.

“Innovation and in-depth study are equally important, neither can be ignored. It requires a balance of evaluation mechanisms,” Liu said.

“We hope the new pattern could save energy for scientists in publishing papers, so that they can spend it to solve the bottlenecks in their research.”

China’s Communist Party to oversee science sector as US tech war intensifies

Liu said the overhaul would also help “each ministry be more focused on the industrial developments and technological innovations in their field” rather than projects being too broad.

“Before, China funded many national-level projects, but the scientific output seemed to fall behind expectations,” Liu said.

“Take supercritical carbon dioxide technology, for example. Many technological breakthroughs come from private companies. Cooperation between colleges on such projects has not worked well.”

Some experts said the restructuring would result in scientific applications from new discoveries appearing in industry sooner.

Li Zhimin, former director of the Ministry of Education’s Science and Technology Development Centre, agreed that taking functions such as agriculture, healthcare, and information technology away from the science ministry would allow for more focused research in needed areas.

“The industry departments are very aware of the technological difficulties encountered by the corresponding industry,” Li told Zhishifenzi, a media website covering science and the humanities.

“The science ministry was making plans and dividing money, like being a umpire and an athlete at the same time. That was a problem.”

01:57

China condemns new US law aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing

China condemns new US law aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing
Professor Tian Ye from Northeast University said that under the new system funding was expected to be more directed towards innovation that could deliver economic development.

“This might shock researchers, so we need to adapt to the new rules and some project reviews have to be reorganised,” Tian said.

One scientist, who declined to be named, told Zhishifenzi that he worried whether other ministries would be fair to researchers.

“In the future, R&D funds will be allocated and managed by various ministries. The problem is each ministry has its own research institutions. Will that put other independent institutions at a disadvantage? A fair distribution mechanism is needed.”

One of the biggest changes to the ministry will see the establishment of a central science and technology committee, a body that will effectively put the Communist Party in charge of innovation.
China’s scientific development has faced many planning limitations, with numerous national science and technology projects scattered among various agencies. The lack of administrative and budget coordination between ministries has stalled government policies and a national-level strategy.

“Although the science ministry will be slimmed down in this restructuring, the status of China’s scientific and technological development is growing,” said Xue Lan, dean of Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, in the article.

“Now, a central science and technology committee will be more authoritative as a coordinating department.”

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