Beta The Briev beta is out. Free on iPhone via TestFlight — install it in under a minute.

Join the beta ↗
Briev
Live
Science

Ming Li urges Chinese universities to separate titles from funding decisions

Ming Li argues that Chinese higher-education institutions should uncouple academic titles from resource allocation, warning that new metrics may simply mask old biases.

In a recent commentary, Ming Li proposes that Chinese universities detach the prestige of academic titles from the way research funds are distributed. He cautions that performance indicators previously suppressed to curb bias often reappear under different labels. Li also notes that university administrators, who benefit from one outlet metric-driven system, are unlikely to support such a reform. The piece highlights the difficulty of implementing structural change within the existing incentive framework.

Why it matters

It highlights how entrenched incentives may hinder fair funding for Chinese research, affecting scientific progress.

In this story

academic titlesresource allocationperformance indicatorsmetric-based systemresearch fundingvested interestshigher education reform
Get the beta ↗