146 BAMBED,Vol.34,No.2,pp.141-147,2006 TABLE IV Chinese doctoral and master's degree authorized institutions and authorized subjects allocation statistics(till Dec.2002)[33] Doctoral degree Doctoral degree Master's degree Master's degree District authorized institutions authorized subjects authorized institutions authorized subjects Quantity Percentage(%) Points Percentage (% Quantity Percentage(%) Points Percentage (% Eastem 199 63.78 951 61.67 415 57.16 4848 50.02 Middle 59 18.91 340 22.05 148 20.39 2602 26.84 Western 54 17.31 251 16.28 163 22.45 2243 23.14 Total 312 100.00 1542 100.00 726 100.00 9693 100.00 aThe eastem part of China includes Jiangsu,Zhejiang,Shandong,Guangdong,Fujian,Shanghai,and so on.The westem part of China includes Guangxi,Inner Mongolia,Tibet,Sinkiang,Qinghai,Gansu,Ningxia,Shaanxi,Guizhou,Yunnan,Sichuan,and Chongging.The middle part of China includes Shanxi,Henan,Anhui,Jiangxi,Hubei,Hunan,and so on. karyote,fundamental research on major disease and in- nology requires not only technical staff but also manage- sect occurrence and development,rule,and control of ment personnel.Each year,the need for research staffs is economic animals and plants,studies on formation mech- comparatively more than the need for management per- anism and genetics of important character in animal and sonnel.The innovation of science and technology requires plant,and studies on new technologies and methods in life high tech staff,whereas enterprises also need manage- sciences that have close relation to crops are all given ment personnel;either high tech staff or management priority to be supported during the ninth Five-Year Plan personnel alone are not sufficient to push biotechnology to period (1996-2000).In addition,biotechnology is also rapid development and maturity.Currently,both kinds of listed as a special field to be supported in high technology, personnel are in short supply;moreover,senior personnel new concepts,and new pilot exploration projects spon- that are capable of research and possess business sense sored by NSFC [31].It is reported that the funds devoted are even in greater shortage.(ii)There is an unbalanced to life science and biotechnology only by the Ministry of allocation of biotechnology educational resources in the Science and Technology NSFC and the China Academy of eastern and western parts of China.The allocation status Sciences since 2000 are up to 2.25 billion RMB(about 0.28 shown in Table IV reflects the problem clearly. billion U.S.dollars)each year.The amount of funds allo- Prospects-In the high tech industrialization program of cated to each project is increasing year by year,i.e.during the 10th Five-Year Plan(2001-2005),"Biotechnology In- the 5 years from 1999 to 2003,the funds allocated by the dustry Projects"are listed as one of 12 national key NSFC to general projects grew from 96,000 RMB (about projects.Moreover,the Chinese government clearly raises 11,985 U.S.dollars)in 1999 to 173,000 RMB (about the idea of developing biotechnology industry as a new 21,598 U.S.dollars)in 2003 per project [32].The National backbone industry.According to the latest news of the Basic Research Program (also called the "973"program), China Biotechnology Development Center of Ministry of implemented in 1997 by the Ministry of Science and Tech- nology,launched basic research focusing on agriculture, Science and Technology (www.cncbd.org.cn),state in- vestment to biotechnology will be over 10 billion (about energy sources,information,resources and environment, population and health,and materials.From 1998 to 2002 1.25 billion U.S.dollars)for the following 5 years,and 132"973"projects had been launched,among which 17 China will try to make the level of biotechnology funda- projects were related to biotechnology in agriculture and mental research reach the world's advanced level,mean- 21 projects were related to biotechnology in population while,to cultivate a number of biotechnology enterprises and health,which has also played an active role in moti- that can be competitive in the world. vating the development of biotechnology education in In Chinese higher education,the period of schooling is China. shortened,the number of courses is reduced,and the continuous distributaries system(from bachelor to master PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS to doctor)to link up the education of undergraduate and Problems-The shortage and unbalanced allocation of master is implemented:to distribute undergraduates in human resources of biotechnology are key problems.(i) grade 4 at one time,i.e.outstanding undergraduates can The human resources of biotechnology are in short supply. step into postgraduate study directly,and they will be Life science is a quite newly born research and application redistributed after 2 years of postgraduate study,and field in China,involving biology,chemistry,medicine,and postgraduates with the best performance can start doc- technology,etc.The development of the biotechnology toral study in advance of the schedule.In this way,the industry is in urgent need of professional biotechnology senior biotechnology personnel's training period is short- researchers,and workers as well as personnel in the man- ened from 10 years to 8 years.In addition,through years of agement,patenting and law,and sales and marketing key subject construction and several years of 211 project areas.However,it requires time to train professional biol- supported construction,postgraduate education has met ogy staffs.Although biotechnology research staffs have the basic requirement for further development to some been trained or recruited,generally speaking,biotechnol- extents.As forecasted,postgraduate students will reach ogy staffs are still in short supply,and the supply is far 500,000,among which 100,000 are Ph.D.candidates [34]. from meeting demands.(ii)Biotechnology personnel are Postgraduate education in China is being transited from centralized in universities and research institutes,whereas education of the essential personnel to education of the badly lacked in enterprises.The development of biotech- masses.karyote, fundamental research on major disease and in￾sect occurrence and development, rule, and control of economic animals and plants, studies on formation mech￾anism and genetics of important character in animal and plant, and studies on new technologies and methods in life sciences that have close relation to crops are all given priority to be supported during the ninth Five-Year Plan period (1996 –2000). In addition, biotechnology is also listed as a special field to be supported in high technology, new concepts, and new pilot exploration projects spon￾sored by NSFC [31]. It is reported that the funds devoted to life science and biotechnology only by the Ministry of Science and Technology NSFC and the China Academy of Sciences since 2000 are up to 2.25 billion RMB (about 0.28 billion U. S. dollars) each year. The amount of funds allo￾cated to each project is increasing year by year, i.e. during the 5 years from 1999 to 2003, the funds allocated by the NSFC to general projects grew from 96,000 RMB (about 11,985 U. S. dollars) in 1999 to 173,000 RMB (about 21,598 U. S. dollars) in 2003 per project [32]. The National Basic Research Program (also called the “973” program), implemented in 1997 by the Ministry of Science and Tech￾nology, launched basic research focusing on agriculture, energy sources, information, resources and environment, population and health, and materials. From 1998 to 2002, 132 “973” projects had been launched, among which 17 projects were related to biotechnology in agriculture and 21 projects were related to biotechnology in population and health, which has also played an active role in moti￾vating the development of biotechnology education in China. PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS Problems—The shortage and unbalanced allocation of human resources of biotechnology are key problems. (i) The human resources of biotechnology are in short supply. Life science is a quite newly born research and application field in China, involving biology, chemistry, medicine, and technology, etc. The development of the biotechnology industry is in urgent need of professional biotechnology researchers, and workers as well as personnel in the man￾agement, patenting and law, and sales and marketing areas. However, it requires time to train professional biol￾ogy staffs. Although biotechnology research staffs have been trained or recruited, generally speaking, biotechnol￾ogy staffs are still in short supply, and the supply is far from meeting demands. (ii) Biotechnology personnel are centralized in universities and research institutes, whereas badly lacked in enterprises. The development of biotech￾nology requires not only technical staff but also manage￾ment personnel. Each year, the need for research staffs is comparatively more than the need for management per￾sonnel. The innovation of science and technology requires high tech staff, whereas enterprises also need manage￾ment personnel; either high tech staff or management personnel alone are not sufficient to push biotechnology to rapid development and maturity. Currently, both kinds of personnel are in short supply; moreover, senior personnel that are capable of research and possess business sense are even in greater shortage. (iii) There is an unbalanced allocation of biotechnology educational resources in the eastern and western parts of China. The allocation status shown in Table IV reflects the problem clearly. Prospects—In the high tech industrialization program of the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001–2005), “Biotechnology In￾dustry Projects” are listed as one of 12 national key projects. Moreover, the Chinese government clearly raises the idea of developing biotechnology industry as a new backbone industry. According to the latest news of the China Biotechnology Development Center of Ministry of Science and Technology (www.cncbd.org.cn), state in￾vestment to biotechnology will be over 10 billion (about 1.25 billion U. S. dollars) for the following 5 years, and China will try to make the level of biotechnology funda￾mental research reach the world’s advanced level, mean￾while, to cultivate a number of biotechnology enterprises that can be competitive in the world. In Chinese higher education, the period of schooling is shortened, the number of courses is reduced, and the continuous distributaries system (from bachelor to master to doctor) to link up the education of undergraduate and master is implemented: to distribute undergraduates in grade 4 at one time, i.e. outstanding undergraduates can step into postgraduate study directly, and they will be redistributed after 2 years of postgraduate study, and postgraduates with the best performance can start doc￾toral study in advance of the schedule. In this way, the senior biotechnology personnel’s training period is short￾ened from 10 years to 8 years. In addition, through years of key subject construction and several years of 211 project supported construction, postgraduate education has met the basic requirement for further development to some extents. As forecasted, postgraduate students will reach 500,000, among which 100,000 are Ph.D. candidates [34]. Postgraduate education in China is being transited from education of the essential personnel to education of the masses. TABLE IV Chinese doctoral and master’s degree authorized institutions and authorized subjects allocation statistics (till Dec. 2002) [33] Districta Doctoral degree authorized institutions Doctoral degree authorized subjects Master’s degree authorized institutions Master’s degree authorized subjects Quantity Percentage (%) Points Percentage (%) Quantity Percentage (%) Points Percentage (%) Eastern 199 63.78 951 61.67 415 57.16 4848 50.02 Middle 59 18.91 340 22.05 148 20.39 2602 26.84 Western 54 17.31 251 16.28 163 22.45 2243 23.14 Total 312 100.00 1542 100.00 726 100.00 9693 100.00 a The eastern part of China includes Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Guangdong, Fujian, Shanghai, and so on. The western part of China includes Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Sinkiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Chongqing. The middle part of China includes Shanxi, Henan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, and so on. 146 BAMBED, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 141–147, 2006