New schools to boost vocational education

China is set to approve 14 new undergraduate higher education institutions, reflecting a shift toward emphasizing vocational education and application-oriented talent development, education experts said on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Education announced plans to establish institutions including the University of Science and Technology in Beijing, Jiuquan Vocational Technical College in Gansu province, and one private university. Public comments on the proposal are invited on the ministry's website until Friday.

Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said the expansion of higher education has slowed as access has grown in recent years. With China's declining birth rate, the country is projected to achieve a 100 percent gross enrollment rate in higher education by 2038, making careful planning essential, Xiong said.