Understanding the Shift in China's Doctoral Education Landscape

China's higher education system has long been a powerhouse, producing over 97,000 PhD graduates in 2024 alone. Yet, amid rapid technological advancement and global competition, traditional PhD programs emphasizing lengthy dissertations faced criticism for prioritizing publications over practical innovation. This led to a groundbreaking reform: allowing doctoral degrees based on real-world products and achievements rather than solely academic papers. Rooted in national strategies for self-reliance in key technologies like semiconductors and artificial intelligence, this change reflects China's push to align academia with industry needs.

The reform addresses longstanding issues, including a disconnect between theoretical research and industrial application, as well as rampant plagiarism and paper mills that flooded journals with low-quality outputs. By focusing on tangible outcomes, Chinese universities aim to cultivate 'elite engineers' capable of solving 'technological choke points.' This evolution began with pilots in 2022 and was formalized in law, marking a pivotal moment for higher education in China.

The Legal Foundation: China's Degrees Law of 2024

The cornerstone of this PhD reform is the Degrees Law of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国学位法), passed on April 26, 2024, and effective from January 1, 2025. This comprehensive legislation for the first time explicitly permits doctoral candidates to apply for degrees through 'practice achievement defenses' (实践成果答辩) alongside traditional thesis defenses. Article 21 outlines that PhD students, after completing coursework and training, can demonstrate mastery via practical results, signaling a flexible pathway tailored to professional degrees in engineering.

Complementing this, the Ministry of Education issued trial guidelines in October 2024 for engineering professional doctoral degrees, specifying basic requirements for theses or practice outcomes. These standards ensure rigor while emphasizing innovation. The law mandates dual supervision—one academic mentor for scholarly depth and one industry expert for applicability—ensuring outputs meet real-world scalability.

This legislative shift builds on earlier initiatives, such as the 2010 'elite engineers' plan and 2022 directives for university-industry graduate colleges. Over 50 such colleges now operate, partnering with enterprises to train students in 18 strategic fields including quantum computing and advanced manufacturing.

🔧 How Practical PhDs Differ: Process and Requirements Step-by-Step

Unlike conventional PhDs requiring a 100+ page dissertation, practical doctorates evaluate candidates on prototypes, techniques, or installations with proven viability. Here's the step-by-step process:

• Enrollment and Training: Students join specialized graduate colleges, often while employed, collaborating with national labs or firms like those partnered with Tsinghua University (56 companies, 1,430 students trained).
• Dual Mentorship: Paired with an academic and industry supervisor to bridge theory and practice.
• Development Phase: Focus on solving industry bottlenecks, producing physical prototypes or systems.
• Evaluation: Submit achievements for peer review; defend orally before a mixed panel of scholars and engineers, proving scalability and real-life use.
• Degree Conferral: Approved by the degree committee if standards met, archived alongside traditional theses.

Currently limited to engineering-related fields, this model demands evidence of industrial impact, such as patents or deployments, distinguishing it from Western 'industrial PhDs' that often retain thesis requirements.

First Practical PhD Graduates: Real-World Success Stories

The reform's viability was proven with the first awards starting September 2025. At least 11 engineers received doctorates, with 67 in the initial cohort applying via practical routes.

Zheng Hehui at Southeast University in Nanjing pioneered civil engineering applications, inventing Lego-like blocks with reinforced steel used in the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge pylons. His defense highlighted scalability for infrastructure projects.

Wei Lianfeng at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), a defense research hub, graduated with a vacuum laser welding process and equipment, addressing manufacturing bottlenecks. HIT's program involves nearly 3,000 candidates across 60+ enterprise partnerships.

Other examples include seaplane fire-fighting systems and advanced welding techniques, showcasing diverse applications in strategic sectors.

Photo by Frederic Köberl on Unsplash

Leading Universities Driving the Practical PhD Initiative

Top institutions are at the forefront:

These 'Seven Sons of National Defence' and elite 'Double First-Class' universities exemplify the reform's integration of academia and industry.

Benefits: Boosting Innovation and Combating Academic Malpractices

This China PhD reform promises multifaceted gains:

• Innovation Acceleration: Directs research toward national priorities, yielding deployable solutions amid US tech restrictions.
• Plagiarism Reduction: Tangible prototypes harder to fake than papers, targeting paper mills responsible for thousands of retractions.
• Industry-Academia Synergy: Dual mentorship closes the 'hands-on gap,' as noted by Nanjing University's Li Jiang.
• Career Edge: Graduates gain patents and experience, ideal for research jobs in high-tech firms.

Experts like Southeast's Guo Tong praise it for solving real problems in strategic industries.

Challenges and Stakeholder Perspectives

While promising, hurdles remain. Evaluating prototypes demands specialized panels, potentially straining resources. Dalian University of Technology's Sun Yutao notes assessment complexity over simple thesis grading. Expansion to pure sciences is unlikely soon, limited to applied fields.

Industry leaders welcome the talent influx; academics worry about diluted rigor. Students value flexibility, especially working professionals. Balanced views from Ministry officials emphasize quality controls via guidelines.

Cultural context: China's emphasis on 'Made in China 2025' drives this, prioritizing outcomes over metrics.

Global Comparisons and Lessons for International Higher Education

Europe and US offer industrial PhDs, but most require theses. Denmark's model pairs company work with publications; China's skips papers entirely for products. This could inspire reforms elsewhere, especially in STEM amid skills shortages.

For aspiring researchers eyeing China university jobs, this signals a pragmatic shift. Global rankings may evolve to value patents alongside citations.

Photo by Hartono Creative Studio on Unsplash

Future Outlook: Scaling the Practical PhD Model

With 20,000+ in pilots, expansion is imminent. By 2030, expect broader adoption, potentially 10-20% of engineering PhDs. Integration with 'Double First-Class' initiatives will amplify impact.

Prospects include hybrid models and international collaborations. For students, check career advice to leverage such credentials.

Career Implications and Next Steps for Academics

This reform opens doors in China's booming tech sector. Graduates excel in R&D roles; universities seek such innovators as faculty.

• Explore faculty positions at reform-leading unis.
• Build portfolios with prototypes for research jobs.
• Rate experiences via Rate My Professor.

Stay informed on postdoc opportunities. For China-focused careers, visit AcademicJobs China.