In his work, Suominen monitors both current events and long-term developments in China’s education and science sector. He provides situational reports on the opportunities and challenges of the operating environment in China not only to Finnish higher education institutions (HEIs) but also to companies and other actors in the sector. In addition, Suominen promotes the awareness, attractiveness and cooperation opportunities of these actors’ and the Ministry of Education and Culture’s global networks in China. Since the framework for cooperation is defined by both EU-level and national plans and policies, Suominen’s job description includes information exchange and cooperation with other EU countries in the field of education and science. In addition to China, Suominen is responsible for questions concerning educational and scientific cooperation with regard to Mongolia, which has no consular representation.
China seeks global leadership in science and education
China has more than 3,000 HEIs, most of which are public. However, the quality of the HEIs varies enormously, for example between regions and depending on their sources of funding. China’s most reputed and best-resourced universities, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (STJU), are public and concentrated in the country’s coastal and eastern regions. The most prestigious universities have very stringent admission requirements, with fierce competition for admission. Higher education is highly valued in China, and demand still outstrips supply. Although the trend is slowly levelling out, many Chinese students still go abroad to pursue their studies.
China has emerged as a great power in higher education and science, setting itself the goal of being a global leader in higher education and research by 2050. To achieve this goal, the central government has launched a wide range of HEI flagship initiatives aimed at comprehensively developing the international competitiveness of top Chinese universities, especially in STEM fields. Financial investments in research and innovation have increased significantly, and the sector’s role in various national development plans has steadily increased.
In terms of quantity, China already leads the world in research publications. In addition, over the last decade or so, the level of Chinese universities and the research publications produced by them has greatly improved. However, the journey to the top ranks is still ongoing. For example, the United States is still quite far ahead of China in terms of awareness and research impact and as a destination for foreign students.
Finland and China – cooperation while identifying challenges
China is an important international partner for most of the world, including the EU and Finland. Almost all Finnish HEIs have cooperation with Chinese partners, and as many as three of the current global projects of the Ministry of Education and Culture are directed at China. There are also numerous Finnish educational companies operating in China. Research cooperation is carried out, for example, in the sectors of green technology, the circular economy, health care and education research, and the number of joint publications between Finnish and Chinese researchers has been steadily increasing. In addition, a significant number of Chinese degree-seeking and exchange students arrive in Finland every year.
However, great power competition and China’s domestic political and economic development may have a significant impact on student flows globally in the future. This may provide opportunities for Finnish operators to further strengthen their position as a destination for Chinese students. China’s economic and demographic changes may also open up new opportunities in research, student and researcher mobility and the corporate sector, for example in the arts, design and lifelong learning. Recently, there has also been growing interest in China in Finland’s system of vocational schools and universities of applied sciences.
In addition to opportunities, cooperation with China involves significant challenges, causing Western countries in particular to examine research cooperation with China more critically. The criticism stems from the tightening social controls in China, which are also reflected on the HEI sector. Control over education and science policy has been increasingly concentrated in the Chinese Communist Party, and China’s activities in education and science challenge the established practices of open science and scientific ethics. China’s actions are motivated by a need to respond to the geopolitical challenge created by the intensifying competition between the great powers.
China is determined to increase its self-sufficiency in higher education and to link the science and technology know-how of universities and the cooperation aimed at acquiring it not only to China’s economic and technological development, but also to the development of the state’s security apparatus and military know-how. In addition to direct research into surveillance and military technology, significant risks are associated with, for example, AI and quantum research. Due to the risk of dual use, any other scientific and technology cooperation may eventually be used to further China’s objectives in the competition between the great powers and domestic policy.
From a Western liberal-democratic point of view, the main problem of the Chinese education and research system is its highly politicised nature, which permeates all levels of education and all subjects in one way or another. The situation has significantly increased concerns about China throughout Europe. Research collaboration has started to be restricted on a sectoral basis and, for example, the opportunities for Chinese researchers to participate in the Horizon Europe programme have been significantly restricted. Student mobility from Europe to China has experienced a significant drop. In recent years, student mobility from China has also begun to be examined more critically in Western countries, albeit primarily from the point of view of economic dependencies. More worrying than the challenges and problems that have been raised is that their publication has not caused China to change its ways.
Despite the challenges and risks, cooperation with China is necessary. Challenges of global significance, such as climate change, cannot be solved without China’s involvement. In addition, China’s scientific and technological know-how is among the best in the world in many areas. Cooperation with China offers Finnish actors the opportunity to keep up with the cutting edge of scientific and technological development. However, in order for the cooperation to be beneficial to both parties, special attention must be paid to background work. It is also important to adhere to one’s own values in the cooperation.
Olli Suominen, Erityisasiantuntija/Specialsakkunnig/Senior Specialist
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