At a recent meeting reviewing the implementation of Vocational Education Law of China held by the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress, Vice Premier Liu Yandong said China would develop different types of vocational education at all levels, as well as connecting vocational and higher education to provide more options for students. At the higher education level, one key policy is to transform some universities into universities of applied technology, a new type of institution offering bachelors’ level vocational education and positioned between traditional universities and current three-year higher vocational institutions. According to Yuan Guiren, Minister of Education, this transformation applies to only local universities supervised by provincial and municipal governments, rather than upgrading higher vocational institutions to offer four-year bachelors’ degrees.

The first group of universities have now started this reform process. In Zhejiang, 41 universities (including independent institutes affiliated to universities) will receive provincial support in developing into applied technology universities; this transformation will start at the subject level, with plans to convert at least 70 per cent of their subjects, covering 80 per cent of total students, to applied subjects. 10 universities in Hebei province, 18 in Hubei and 15 in Henan have also announced the transformation process.

According to the “Modern Vocational Education Development Strategy 2014 – 2020” published by the Ministry of Education, universities of applied technology will become one of the key components of China’s higher education sector, equivalent to academic universities but with a different administration system. Universities of applied technology will be granted more autonomy than traditional universities in terms of admissions, and will be able to set their own entrance exams or admissions criteria based on both vocational skills and academic knowledge. China plans to convert around 600 provincial and municipal universities or their affiliated institutes to universities of applied technology, aimed at providing a skilled labor force to support local industry and economic development.

Analysis by Liu Xiaoxiao, Education Services Manager and Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst:
The transition of local academic universities into applied technology institutions is aimed to address China’s shortage of trained engineers, senior technicians and other highly skilled workers, in comparison to graduates in more academic areas. Graduate employment surveys often find that applied sectors such as engineering have the highest employment rates among all subjects. The policy of developing universities of applied technology fits in with China’s strategy of raising the status of vocational education.

Sources:
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