Adviser calls for reforms in higher education sector

Higher education institutions in China should further integrate education, research and talent development by promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration and deepening engagement with industry leaders, a national political adviser said.

Xin Sijin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Party secretary of the Wuhan University of Technology in Hubei province, said universities face challenges in technology transfer, including insufficient high-quality research, weak industry-academia collaboration and underdeveloped service platforms.

The Wuhan University of Technology has positioned itself as a leader in transforming scientific research into real-world applications through measures such as reforming evaluation systems, strengthening industry ties and securing funding, Xin said in an interview with China Daily.

As a national intellectual property demonstration university and technology transfer base, the university's patent industrialization rate exceeds 15 percent, nearly four times the national average for universities, according to Xin.

Leveraging big data, the university has connected nearly 100 enterprises with more than 100 research teams to improve tech transfer efficiency. It revised policies to include reforms such as pre-use licensing and increased profit-sharing for researchers, Xin said.

One of its most notable partnerships is with Dongfeng Motor Corporation, a leading Chinese automaker, which integrates industry needs into education and cultivates talent with expertise in both research and real-world applications.

Last year, the Wuhan University of Technology established a graduate school for elite engineers, focusing on artificial intelligence and new energy intelligent connected vehicles. The school launched a training program with Dongfeng that admitted 40 students specializing in automotive engineering, mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence.

The program moves away from traditional talent development models, aiming to cultivate innovators who meet the future needs of the AI and automotive industries, Xin said.

To further integrate education, research and talent development, the university plans to establish a cross-disciplinary research fund and incorporate industry-academia collaboration metrics into faculty evaluations.

It will also expand cooperation with industry leaders, including a joint laboratory with Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group, to address key challenges in resource utilization and new energy materials, Xin said.

The political adviser called for improvements in university evaluation systems, suggesting that greater weight be given to tech transfer outcomes in assessments of "Double First-Class" universities — those selected to cultivate world-class institutions and disciplines — and stronger incentives for industry-academia collaboration.

To enhance global competitiveness, the university will adopt international best practices by strengthening cross-border research collaborations and building a professional tech transfer workforce, Xin said.

Contact the writers at zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn