Universities look to help researchers commercialize scientific breakthroughs

Universities in China are looking for policies to support students and faculty to commercialize their research breakthroughs and scientific discoveries.

Representatives from more than 100 top universities gathered at the Forum on Promoting University Technology Transfer on April 27-29 to share pioneering cases and seek cooperation between academia and business.

Chen Li, professor of the School of Energy and Power Engineering at Xi'an Jiaotong University, said cooperation between the two could achieve better results than by working separately.

"Researchers have their own logic for conducting scientific research with the goal of developing cutting-edge technology. However, if a company wants to make products, it must consider the needs of users, cost-effectiveness, and economic value in the marketplace. We hope to achieve a situation where even if each side may not perform at their best, when combined they can achieve a better effect than if they work individually," said Chen.

At the forum, colleges and institutes shared their policies to encourage professors and students to use their academic achievements to start businesses. An Quanfu, executive vice president of the Institution of Science and Tech Development at Beijing Institute of Technology, said they have set up mechanisms to give professors enough time for entrepreneurship.

"When professors had transferable achievements and needed to devote more energy to such transfer, we had a policy of leaving the job to start a business, which could be for 3 or 6 years," said An.

Chou Shulei, founding dean of the Institute for Carbon Neutralization at Wenzhou University, said his college also has financial incentives to support students' businesses.

"In Wenzhou University, actually we have very good policy support for our team to start a company. They encourage us to get into industry. The university will take less than 10% of our share if the company goes public," said Chou.

Authorities have also put in place mechanisms that can reduce the anxiety and risk for innovators as they work hard to make their way in both academia and industry.

Xiang Yankuan, deputy director-general of the Daxing District Economic and Information Bureau, said the government will offer various incentives to attract companies and academic leaders to work together in cutting-edge fields.

"Starting in 2020, we have partnered with Tsinghua Industrial R&D Institute to build the Daxing International Hydrogen Energy Demonstration Zone, with the aim of attracting high-quality enterprises. In addition to supporting the development of enterprises, we also provide key services such as housing, education, healthcare and permanent residency registration to talent in the hydrogen energy sector," said Xiang.

Universities look to help researchers commercialize scientific breakthroughs

The United States, operating under the guise of a glamorous superpower, is a hypocrite whose real intention is to utilize Taiwan as a tool to maintain its hegemony and contain the development of the Chinese mainland, said some students from Taiwan.

The students, who are pursuing academic studies on the Chinese mainland, expressed their perspective on the United States in separate interviews with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), in the wake of the "congratulation" from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Lai Ching-te on his so-called "inauguration" as the new leader of the Taiwan region.

"It is a just a self-proclaimed paragon of virtue, who wants to perpetually uphold its hegemony," said Lin Kuan-ting, a student majoring in international relations from Peking University.

"Many may perceive the United States as a glamorous superpower that can endure everything. However, in reality, it actually seeks to manipulate Taiwan's political arena and exert its influence over the choices of people in Taiwan by various means," said Cheng Ting-yi, a student in Chinese ancient literature from Beijing Normal University.

Through its interference in the affairs of Taiwan, the United States has revealed its true intention of containing the mainland's development in order to secure its own dominance, said the students.

"Because of its geographical position, Taiwan is easily to be used as a tool by the United States to contain the development of the Chinese mainland and ensure America's unrivaled dominance," said Huang Jun-jie, a student majoring in artificial intelligence from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.

Some others have criticized the United States for prioritizing its own interests over those of Taiwan, citing examples such as demanding the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to build operations in the United States and its allies including Japan.

"It demands the TSMC to set up factories in the United States and its allies like Japan. This, in fact, hinders the progress of Taiwan's semiconductor industry," said Chen Kuan-ying, a student from Tsinghua University.

They also expressed outrage towards the United States for selling arms to Taiwan, which has had a negative impact on Taiwan's fiscal condition and the well-being of local people.

"U.S. arm sales to Taiwan cost billions of dollars every time. Some compatriots in Taiwan told me that the cost of living is soaring while people's wages and pensions dwindle. Is this the situation Taiwan should be in?" said Lin Yen-chen, a student majoring in international political economy from Peking University.

Students accuse U.S. of using Taiwan to maintain hegemony, contain Chinese mainland's development