Favorable Environment Urged for Educational, Scientific ProgressConcerted efforts such as financial and policy support from the government should be made in China to create a favorable environment in which education and science can thrive, according to a senior Chinese official.Peng Peiyun, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), stressed Friday that the current systems of education and scientific research must be reformed to adapt to a socialist market economy. She attended the 33rd Plenum of the Ninth NPC Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee, whose members reviewed a report made by Xu Rongkai, director of the National Leading Group Under the State Council For Education and Science, on the achievements the government has scored in reforms of educational and scientific research systems in recent years. A major step of the reform is to turn 242 scientific research institutes subsidized by the government into enterprises, with the aim of prompting Chinese researchers to ensure that their research results are better used in economic production, Xu said. Another measure of educational reform is the merger of universities and colleges. So far a total of 457 universities and colleges have been merged into 188 new academies. Great importance should be attached and concrete steps should be taken to realize the country's goal of invigorating the nation through education and science, Peng said, adding that reform in these two fields should be carried out steadily. The strategy of reinvigorating the nation through education and science was initiated in 1995 and was put at the top of the government's agenda in 1998. |
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