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This is Roundtable.
Hello, welcome to Roundtable where we serve up piping hot debates on the issues that sizzle in China and beyond.
I'm Yeohenglin.
With China's new wave of vocational bachelor's institutions rising, we're here to break down the differences.
What if a general university is like a Swiss army knife offering a bit of a everything and a vocational university is like, like a precision tool built to do one thing really, really well.
Both are essential, but how do you decide which one you need?
With vocational universities now granting bachelor's degrees and being hailed as a solution to skills shortages, it's time to unpack what makes them unique.
For today's show, I'm joined by Fei Fei and Steve Hatherley.
Now grab your virtual compass and follow us to the heart of the discussion.
In 2019, the State Council of China launched a pilot program to develop vocational undergraduate education.
A move that has since reshaped the higher education landscape.
Fast forward to 2025 and now there are over 50 vocational universities.
These institutions are challenging traditional views of higher education, prioritizing hands on skills and industry partnerships.
But what sets them apart from general universities?
And why are they gaining so much attention?
And what does the establishment of this new wave of vocational universities mean?
Well, I think the first news comes with the latest news actually is with the Ministry of Education plans to approve five new vocational undergrad universities.
And they are originally vocational schools, but now they are being upgraded into a undergrad they can offer undergraduate educational programs.
So that means students can actually get a bachelor degree when they graduated.