Biotechnology is definitely a hot topic in China—the country's
administrators recently identified it as a "cornerstone of
China's national economy by 2020." But most realize that getting
there will require a better trained, specialized workforce than
currently exists. The Chinese government has been pumping money
into life sciences education as part of its plan to achieve a
global biotechnological presence over the next 15 years. Eric
Langer; Eliza Yibing Zhou This article summarizes information
from the recent BioPlan Associates and Society for Industrial
Microbiology study, Advances in Biopharmaceutical Technology in
China. We examine how investments have affected the growth of
life sciences in China over the past few years. In 1981, China
outlined an educational degree system similar to that in the US.
In 1995, China introduced a national strategy to "reinvigorate
China through science and education." One such high-priority
program is the 211 Project, which focuses on funding major
universities and key dis