Chinese Media

China's higher education lacks independent spirit

By Zhang Jiawei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-06-22 19:13

Chinese universities suffer from a lack of spiritual support because practical concerns that mainly focus on material wealth prevails in society, said a university president.

The schools focus on teaching students only how to pass exams and find jobs, and students themselves focus on learning what can bring them money after graduation rather than pursuing what they are interested in, said Yang Yuliang, president of the elite Fudan University in Shanghai, in a recent interview with China Youth Daily.

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Yang said Chinese universities have been mostly driven by what is hot in society, which eventually turned them into mere employment service stations.

Academic research at universities has also been geared toward profit making, which has led to scholars' lack of social responsibility and a dearth of masters in the country, Yang said.

Yang said the lack of spirit in university teachers and students as well as that China's current higher education system doesn't allow enough independence for universities, are the main reasons that it is hard for Chinese universities to become world class.

Yang's remarks were positively echoed in 4,845 one-sided comments as of 4:30 pm Tuesday on the Chinese web portal sina.com.cn, with many saying Chinese universities really need some radical changes.