Changjiang Scholars Program

The Changjiang (Yangtze River) Scholar award (Chinese: 长江学者奖励计划; pinyin: Chángjiāng Xuézhě Jiǎnglì Jìhuà), is the highest academic award issued to an individual in higher education by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China.[1][2][3][4][5][6] It is also known as the Cheung Kong Scholar[7] and the Yangtze River Scholar award.[4][8][9]

History

The initial funding for this program was provided by the Hong Kong–based Li Ka Shing Foundation (李嘉诚基金会), with the goal of elevating research at Chinese universities to the highest levels internationally.[10][11] The program began in August 1998.

The program has enabled Chinese universities to provide international recognition to leading academics, but has led to difficulties for less prestigious universities in China. Individuals who receive the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Scholar award have become targets for recruitment by competing Chinese universities so frequently that the Ministry of Education issued a notice in 2013 barring universities from hiring away Changjiang professors, and another in 2017 discouraging Chinese universities from recruiting away top faculty from one another.[1][12]

Selection

The Changjiang Scholars Program mainly recognizes China's domestic top scholars, who receive the prestigious title of Changjiang Distinguished Professor at their own Chinese universities and are provided with some research resources to enhance the recipients' research programs.[5] This is in contrast to the Thousand Talents Plan, which recruits top experts from overseas and is administered separately and directly by the central government.[1]

Although the award is rarely granted to foreign scientists, a few renowned international scholars are chosen each year.[2] These internationally renowned scholars include Nobel Prize Laureates[13][14] and members of US National Academy of Engineering.[15][16] They are typically honored with a guest or visiting professorship at a major university, with the prestigious title of Changjiang Scholar.[13][14] These world-class visiting professorships help significantly raise their host universities' international visibility.[citation needed]

Although these professorships can be affiliated with any university in China, they are awarded disproportionately to individuals affiliated with the most prestigious (C9 League) universities.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c Jia, Hepeng (28 Jun 2017). "China sets ground rules for local talent quest". Springer Nature.
  2. ^ a b "Anthropology Professor Named Changjiang Scholar". The Harvard Crimson. 23 Feb 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  3. ^ Miller, Beth (29 June 2015). "Genin receives highest academic honor from Chinese government". The Source. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Ronald Allen receives China's highest academic honor". Northwestern University. 17 April 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  5. ^ a b "The Ministry of Education announces the Yangtze River scholars for 2013 and 2014 (教育部关于公布2013、2014年度长江学者)". Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. 19 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2017-01-03. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  6. ^ Dong (董), Hongliang (洪亮) (6 June 2014). "16 years of Yangtze River Scholar awards ("长江学者奖励计划"十六年:出人才出成果出机制)". People's Daily. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  7. ^ "MAINLAND'S HIGHER EDUCATION REFORMED, ACADEMIC LEADERS NURTURED AS "CHEUNG KONG SCHOLARS PROGRAMME" CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY". Li Ka Shing Foundation. 5 Dec 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Yangtze River Scholars Programme, 长江学者计划". European Union. Archived from the original on 2014-11-28. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Tertiary sector career opportunities for returnees and foreign experts". China Daily. 2 Feb 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  10. ^ "Tsinghua University: 10 years of the Yangtze River Scholars program (清华："长江学者奖励计划"10年)". China Scholars Abroad Magazine. 18 March 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  11. ^ "Ministry of Education Yangtze River Scholar award scheme (教育部长江学者奖励计划)". 1000plan.org. Archived from the original on 25 April 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  12. ^ Chinese Ministry of Education (25 Jan 2017). "The Office of the Ministry of Education Insists on Correct Guidance in Promoting the Reasonable and Orderly Flow of High-level Talents in Colleges and Universities (教育部办公厅关于坚持正确导向促进高校高层次人才合理有序流动的通知)". Chinese Ministry of Education. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Joseph E. Stiglitz/Chair Professors of Chang Jiang Scholars - National School of Development". en.nsd.pku.edu.cn (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 2018-05-28. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  14. ^ a b "Gary S. Becker/Chair Professors of Chang Jiang Scholars - National School of Development". en.nsd.pku.edu.cn (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 2018-05-28. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  15. ^ "Constance Chang-Hasnain | EECS at UC Berkeley". www2.eecs.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  16. ^ "Spanos named ASCE Distinguished Member : Rice University Civil and Environmental Engineering". ceve.rice.edu. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  17. ^ Li F, Miao Y, Yang C (2015). "How do alumni faculty behave in research collaboration? An analysis of Chang Jiang Scholars in China". Research Policy. 44 (2): 438–450. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2014.09.002.