Top universities of China have earned global recognition in university ranking mostly for their impressive contribution to research in multifaceted fields such as science, technology, arts, environment, business, and economics.
Also, with the development of research practices universities have also increased their funds through government assistance as well as their own sources.
They not only rely on national talents but also eagerly seek international minds, for which the universities and the government offer exciting scholarships to overseas students and faculties of developing nations.
The students are provided with all fundamental facilities, such as access to authorised and premium sources of published reports, regular collaboration with qualified scholars, support from experienced ones, and availability of data that encourage students to conduct research.
Miguel Lim, an education researcher at the University of Manchester, UK, states, “The culture of research in China possesses the mindset of assiduousness and dedication and invests hours in research projects.”
On average, the country produces around 407,181 research papers. From the very beginning of its existence, it has focused extensively on research programmes and shaped the education system in this interactive way.
According to a 2023 report from the Planning Commission of the World Bank, China utilises 2.6% of its GDP in the research sector.
Most of the universities have separate research centres and high-end laboratories on campus. Some universities that are ahead in research are Tsinghua University, Peking University, Tongji University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Chinese University of Hong Kong.
All these universities have higher study prospects, and all the facilities needed to conduct well-researched papers.
As per the Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2023 of Stanford University, China accounted for nearly 40% of all publications in AI in 2021, surpassing the UK and Europe (15%) and the US (10%). That is why universities in China are popular among higher studies seekers and research enthusiasts nowadays.
In the context of our country, the government and universities do not allocate enough funds for research purposes.
As the GDP is increasing substantially due to the strengths of other economic sectors, the urgency to invest in the research sector remains absent.
According to a report of the Planning Commission published in 2023, Bangladesh utilises only 0.03% of its GDP in the research sector. Meanwhile, the ratio was 0.54% in Vietnam, 0.70% in India, and 2.55% in China, showed World Bank data.
Again, the education system is more book-oriented, which most fellows are accustomed to. Here, bookish knowledge is preferred over experimental knowledge.
Teaching professionals are involved in research for career growth, but students seldom involve themselves in research due to conventional education systems and lack of proper guidance.
Besides, the universities are not designed and planned for such research centres and laboratories as China, and they often porefer investing in infrastructure development and capacity planning rather than research.
Only a few universities have research centres and they are not even designated for individual research fields.
In the Fiscal Year 2023-24, Tk174 crore was allocated for the research of University Grants Commission (UGC) and public universities in higher education. However, how much of it was actually utilised remains to be seen.
In the same fiscal year, the proposal was to lead 15 research programmes on education wellbeing. Still, the numbers are not high in comparison to Chinese universities.
Tamim Ahmed, a Senior Research Associate at Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said, “Along with insufficient fund allocation over the years by the earlier governments for research, there remains uncertainty over the proper utilisation of these funds.”
At present, as both the political and economic scenarios have evolved, more focus can be put on research and development in the coming days.