China’s doctoral education has long been under attack for overemphasising the number of published papers, along with their lack of groundbreaking research findings. At a recent forum in Beijing, a noted academic blamed the system for shackling talent and hindering innovation.
“Can you imagine the emergence of DeepSeek, if its founder Liang Wenfeng had pursued a PhD instead?” That was the question raised by Wang Shuguo, president of eastern China’s Fuyao University of Science and Technology, at…