Chinese universities to transform from 'idea parks' to industrial 'engines', says national adviser

Chinese universities must evolve from "idea parks" into "engines" that drive industrial development, a national political adviser said on Saturday, adding that China is launching a national initiative to address challenges in transferring university scientific and technological achievements.

"I believe the role of universities needs a new leap. We must not only become innovation parks that provide inspiration but also engines that drive development," said Zhang Qiao, president of Soochow University in Jiangsu province and a member of the CPPCC National Committee. "Our model has grown from a single-school, single-location exploration to a national collective action."

Answering questions from journalists at the members' passage interviews on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, Zhang said: "We have proposed building corporate labs on our campus and moving university classrooms into companies. This way, our students can conduct research in enterprises and return to campus for knowledge."

"We have found that when students return to school with real-world problems from the industry frontlines, they learn more deeply, quickly, and solidly. They can truly apply what they learn, leading to immediate employment upon graduation," he added.

Efforts are underway to address universities' reluctance, inability, or fear of transferring their technological achievements, Zhang noted.

In collaboration with Jiangsu province, the Ministry of Education set up China's first regional technology transfer center for universities. In 2025, the center partnered with over 100 universities nationwide and resulted in 164 new businesses, Zhang said.