Various reforms have been carried out in recent years in the higher education system in China that includes today some 1,911 institutions of higher learning. Following a project started in 1993 to establish 100 international first-grade multi-disciplinary universities, the government set up special funds for the project, with funded universities having reached more than 30. Meanwhile, some 708 institutions of higher learning have merged to form 302 more comprehensive ones. For example, in September 1999, the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts merged with Tsinghua University and in April 2000, the Beijing Medical Sciences University, the leading medical university in China, was incorporated into Peking University.
For many years, enrollment in institutions of higher learning has increased. In 1998, 1.08 million students were recruited by regular institutions of higher learning throughout China; in 1999, 1.6 million; and in 2002, 3.2 million and in 2003, it is expected that the number will be 3.35 million. Some 0.217 million postgraduates also are expected to be recruited by institutions of higher learning and research institutes, an increase of 33 percent over the previous year.
Institutions of higher learning have increased significantly their strengths in scientific research to become forces for innovation in science and technology throughout the country, particularly in the basic research field. The production, learning and research forces in institutions of higher learning have strengthened their cooperation, speeding up China's scientific and technological achievements. A group of new- and high-tech enterprises have emerged that have produced innovative products, and 22 national university sci-tech parks have become key bases for new- and high-tech achievements.
