Innovative research universities gaining ground

The concept of the new type of research university has, in recent years, become a buzzword across China's higher education and academic communities.

On Dec 6, Great Bay University held its inauguration ceremony in Dongguan, Guangdong province — a major advanced manufacturing hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area — marking the official launch of a new type of research university with a strong focus on science and engineering.

A similar milestone was reached on Nov 28, when the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo (EIT), a new type of research university, was officially unveiled in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.

In addition to Great Bay University and EIT, institutions frequently cited as representatives of the new type of research university include Southern University of Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Westlake University, Fuyao University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, and University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Meanwhile, Qiantang University, funded by Zhong Shanshan, founder of bottled water company Nongfu Spring, is currently under preparation in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

China's higher education sector has expanded rapidly in recent years. According to a statistical bulletin on national education development for 2024 released by the Ministry of Education in 2025, the number of postgraduate students nationwide reached 676,300 doctoral students and 3.42 million master's students, while regular undergraduate students reached 20.86 million.