China’s Science & Technology Policy – Can it Succeed?

Occasional Speaker: Richard P. Appelbaum

China’s Science & Technology Policy – Can it Succeed?

In 2006 the Chinese government launched its National Medium- and Long-Term Plan for the Development of Science and Technology 2006-2020, making “indigenous innovation” the top developmental priority. The broad goal of the MLP is to transform China into a technology-focused economy by 2020 and a global leader in R&D, science, and product innovation by 2050.  Can such state-driven efforts succeed? At first glance, the results of China’s efforts are impressive. Yet China’s investment in research and development has yet to pay off in product innovation. Moreover, President Xi’s “Chinese dream,” which includes a major anti-corruption campaign along with reigning in “Western thinking” in China’s universities, may have a deleterious effect on China’s high-tech ambitions. This presentation will explore these ambitions in light of recent developments in China.

About Richard Appelbaum

Dr. Richard P. Appelbaum is a research professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he holds the MacArthur Foundation Chair in Global & International Studies and Sociology. He is co-PI at UCSB’s Center for Nanotechnology in Society, where he leads an international research team engaged in a comparative study of state-led efforts to foster high-tech development, focusing on nanotechnology as a case study.

Memorial Union, Room 229 Santa Cruz