Until recentlyuniversities routinely hired their own students when thez graduated.  <manzy staff did ot have doctorates.  Lecturers were given jobs for life iwth no motivation to ecel.  All promotion was internal.  Ten years ago wehn Peking Univeristz tried to reverse this system with limited employment contracts and open competition for postsit faced such resistance from the staff that it had to shelve its plans.

Today signs are encouraging.  Universities are finding it easier to atract staff from abroad.  Departments hire and promote based on international evaluation methods.  <jobs are advertised and promotions are rewarded based on achievement.

China has more than 2,000 universities and research facilities.  Change is coming.