Will China become world's innovation center?

In future global competition, technological strength will determine a country's future. How is China's scientific research strength? What's the gap between China and the developed countries? How can China catch up with them? The release of annual Noble Prize again sparks the discussion of the capability of China's scientific research and innovation.

Improvement of China's scientific research strength

In 1949 at the beginning of the founding of New China, China had only some 30 research institutions and no more than 50,000 IT staff.

By 2006, China's total investment in scientific research ranked sixth in the world after the U.S., Japan, Germany, France and Great Britain, according to statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Currently, the total number of China's IT staff is ranked second in the world, only behind the U.S. The investment of social research and experimental development (R&D) amounted to 457 billion yuan, a 31-fold increase since 1991.

Despite splendid achievements China has no world-renowned talents like Li Siguang, Qian Xueseng, Qian Sanqiang, and world leadership.

To narrow the gap of technological strength between China and the developed countries, only cultivating leaders with a background in globalization and 'leadership thought', can we lead China's technological innovation to a higher level, said Zhang Yaqin, senior vice-President of Microsoft and chairman of Microsoft (China).

Getting rid of utilitarian purpose in scientific research

Some problems lie in China's education and scientific research, such as utilitarianism in education, official standard (measuring the social status of a person in terms of the level of his official position.) in China's universities and unreasonable divisions in R&D.

Zhang Yaqin believes the exploration of truth and devoting oneself to science is a fundamental spirit and a process of enjoyment with no utilitarian purpose.

Charles K. Kao, for example, never thought he would win the Nobel Prize or apply for patent when he studied optical fibers. His valuable research came about his love for it.

Scientific research differs form marketing and must not include a utilitarian purpose or too many short-term quantitative targets. They are not appropriate to universities or basic research, Zhang Yaqin said.

China conducted much research following the direction of western countries, but has difficulties in opening new areas. While the Nobel Prize favors those researches credited with essential breakthroughs and innovation in methods that have a profound impact on major areas, Rao Zihe, president of Nankai University in Tianjin, told the media.


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