Zhejiang University Has Finished Its Transition from Educational Mode to Research Mode
September 5, 2001

Pan Yunhe, an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, as well as the president of Zhejiang University, wrote in Technology Daily that after two years' reform of the education system, Zhejiang University has realized its transition from educational mode to research mode in its development strategy. The following is the whole article.

In this society of intellectual economy, the creation, processing, transmission and application of intellectual information are becoming the most important sources for the development of economy. The functions of teaching, science research as well as the social services in university correspond to these respective procedures. Therefore, a research mode university involving these three functions may play an extremely important role in society.

After two years of the reform of educational system, with an unremitting effort in the adjustment of the cultivation aim and education level, Zhejiang University has placed its main focus on the graduate student education, especially the doctoral programs, raising the percentage of graduate students. As a result, it has realized its transition from an educational mode to a research mode in its development strategy.

At present, the number of the registered graduate students in Zhejiang University has reached 9900, among which 2500 are Ph.D. candidates. The total amount of university's scientific research funds has been rising by 30 to 40 per cent annually resulting in the continuous expansion of scientific research dimension as well as its quality. In 1999 and 2000 the number of National Natural Science fund items ranked the first in China.

After merging of the four universities, a fully integrated university comes into shape, covering more disciplines than any other one in China. All disciplines can be found here with the only exception of military strategics. Besides, it has 138 master's majors and nearly 200 PhD majors in fields of art, history, philosophy, law, economics, management, education, science, engineering, medicine and agriculture, thus creating a most favorable academic environment which provides basis for academic exchanges internationally and domestically.

Zhejiang University has contributed a lot in cultivation of high-level and creative talents in Zhejiang. Most of its graduates chose to work in Zhejiang province, the percentage being 90% in the fields of medicine and agriculture and 50% in the fields of science and engineering and 40% out of the graduates enrolled from other provinces decided to stay on. Moreover, through co-holding schools, establishing branch schools, developing distant education and setting-up master's programs for part-time students, Zhejiang university has helped to train numerous professionals.

Zhejiang University has been launching research in basic sciences, promoting integration of various disciplines and advocating initiative. Achievements in scientific research are applied to the local economic growth. Helping traditional industries to update their technology including chemical engineering, power supply, and light industry, we created enormous economic returns from transforming cut-edge basic research accomplishments to industrialized technological innovation.

Post-merger Zhejiang University boasts of an integration of disciplines. As we all know, technological achievements in the 21st century require joint efforts by experts in different fields, particularly for their industrialization. For example, latest developments of traditional Chinese medicine have called for joint efforts by specialists in areas of biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, pharmaceutics, clinical medicine, agro-biotic environment and bio-medical engineering. This also holds true for emergent industries in the fields of biology, energy, materials, environment protection and marine science.

Undoubtedly, Zhejiang University, with its completeness in disciplines, will greatly promote development of high-tech enterprises of these kinds. Besides, numerous accomplishments in scientific research gained during the past years provide local industries with a strong technological support. Sending PhD candidates to villages / towns to hold temporal posts as assistants to heads of villages/towns or technological advisers in enterprises, co-holding technological development centers or research institutes based on equal share of profits and risks with local key enterprises, Zhejiang University has effectively promoted industrialization of high technology.

Our Optical Instrument Research Center and Optical Instrument Manufacturing Plant, Yuyao jointly set up Shunyu Group, Ltd., Zhejiang and a photo-electricity technology development center on basis of their long-term cooperation. In 1999, this company came out in front among companies of the same industry, with output value being RMB 500 million and profit tax being over RMB 50 million.

The university has just started a high-tech industry promotion plan called Dandelion Plan among graduate students. The primary aim is to stimulate graduating students to convert their own technological accomplishments to productive forces as well as start an undertaking. In November, 2000, Zhejiang university signed an agreement with the city government of Hangzhou which allows the university a piece of land to set up a national technology park, the planning of which is currently under way. Zhejiang University National Technological Park is surely to play an important role in connecting the university closely with the economy. The 21th century is an age of knowledge-intensive economy and globalization. China is undergoing a rapid economic growth and Zhejiang Province is one of the fastest growing economies. The rapidly expanding Zhejiang University, with superiority in its size and complete system of disciplines, is well prepared to make utmost contributions for technological advancement and economic growth.