The Chinese universities set high academic standards for admission, so that only those students who have excelled during their elementary and secondary school education can gain access. Consequently, the competition for entry into the best universities in China is fierce, and the screening of students is highly selective. Special programs for the gifted, such as USTC’s Special Classes for the Gifted Young, identify and nurture mathematically-gifted students identified at an early age. Such students are trained to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) where the high achievers are directed toward specialized study at the top universities. Recognition and awards are used to incentivize the “brightest and the best,” creating a strong competitive atmosphere for academic achievement.
To ensure that the faculties at these universities are of top calibre, the Chinese government runs national talent programs that fund generous salaries and stipends for young researchers in the sciences and engineering. For example, the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars provides substantial funding for young researchers up to the age of 45 who have established a strong record of promising research. Also, the Changjiang Scholars Program provides high salaries and special funding for researchers who have demonstrated outstanding research potential in China or abroad.
To lure Chinese students from other countries where they have a proven record of achievement, the Thousands Talents Program provides research grants, high salaries, and subsidized housing to foreign scholars who are willing to return to China.
Furthermore, research in technology is enhanced by the establishment of universities specializing in particular areas such as the Yau Mathematical Sciences Centerat Tsinghua University, staffed mainly by tenure-track faculty.
While initiatives in the United States, such as the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion movement, have attempted to restrict or eliminate gifted programs, the Chinese have embraced the concept of differences in natural ability, and used it to strive for technological dominance in the 21st century. Of course, such initiatives sometimes come with stressful competitive environments that may put a premium on research into superficial rather than deep problems, there is evidence that these Chinese initiatives are yielding significant technological achievements.
