Source: Guangzhou Daily 2013-03-10 Page A5
Written by: Liu Ruihong, Lu Wenjie
Translated by: Yu Jingbing

"The ten billion debt owed by colleges and universities in Guangdong will not incur crisis, I am assured”, "Other provinces are trying to catch up with Guangdong in economy while Guangdong needs to catch up with others in education." Xu Ningsheng, NPC Deputy, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of Sun Yat-sen University, accepted the special interview in Beijing, speaking of hot issues concerning the debt owed by colleges and universities as well as how to catch up with other provinces in education.

On educational funds: we should consider how to make good use of the funding.

The reporter asked, this year’s Government Work Report mentioned that during the past five years, “China's annual government expenditures on education already exceed two trillion yuan”, "It increases at an average annual rate of 21.58% to reach 4% of GDP in 2012”, "It should continue to increase. We must make good use of such funding to the satisfaction of the people.” Does the input correspond to China’s national strength?

Xu Ningsheng said in response that in terms of either quality education or higher education, in the discussions about educational expenditures which equals to 4% of GDP, we should pay more attention to how to make good use of the funding and how to improve the quality of education instead of hyping up the issue of whether the expenditures should be increased.

On the debt owed by colleges and universities: I’m quite assured that there will be no crisis.

The Ministry of Education is making preparations to adopt holding English exams several times a year in college entrance examination. What kind of impact will it make on China’s college entrance examination system? Xu Ningsheng said, it’s just the beginning of the Ministry of Education’s effort to implement multiple ways of examination and provide more opportunities for the examinees. At present, the pilot scheme is only for the English subject, and it will gradually move on to other subjects. Diversification and multiple chances will be a future direction for college entrance examination, and will proceed step by step.

Xu Ningsheng also responded to the question concerning the ten billion debt owed by colleges and universities in Guangdong. He said that the nearly ten billion debt does exist and it arises from the need to develop. “I have heard that the provincial government attaches great importance to it. I believe the provincial government and colleges and universities will work out a perfect solution and there will be no crisis. I am assured.”

On how to catch up with other provinces in education: Guangdong should catch up with others in education.

Speaking of the disparity in education between Guangdong and Jiangsu province, Xu Ningsheng said that Guangdong left other provinces behind in terms of economy but was left behind in education. Their gross rate of university enrollment reaches 49% while our gross rate is 28.2%. The disparity was inherited from the past. Guangdong province has almost the same number of academicians as Jiangsu province, but has fewer recipients of the China National Funds for Distinguished Young Scientists.

According to the results of the third discipline evaluation made by the Ministry of Education in 2012, Nanjing University has more disciplines ranked in the top three than Sun Yat-sen University. It’s obvious that the gap is in top disciplines.

On self-financing graduate study: the reform goes in the right direction.

Graduate students will have to study on their own expense from the autumn of 2014. What kind of impact will it bring to students who plan to go to graduate school? Xu Ningsheng said, charging for graduate study which has long been free of charge is the right move and the reform goes in the right direction. If they have to pay for graduate study, the students will take new things into account when they make choices between career and study.

The Ministry of Education will take the next step forward by publishing corresponding government funding policies, student scholarship and grant system. It is estimated that specific new rules will be issued continuously before next autumn.