Everyone does not share this point of view

What is the country whose scientific production has quadrupled since 2000 China, of course. The data published by the Canadian specialist of the Thomson Reuters Bibliometric analysis confirm that everyone perceived intuitively: the Middle Kingdom is becoming a giant of scientific research. In fact, Beijing seems now installed second in the world of knowledge production, just behind the United States and before the historical actors such as the United Kingdom, the Germany, the Japan or the France. If the current trend continues, the country could become in 2020 the scientific power of the planet. At least in quantitative terms.

The balance sheet prepared by Thomson Reuters takes into account the number of articles with at least one of the authors is employed by a Chinese private or public laboratory. It therefore gross production listed in Web of Science, a server that identifies the academic work. But this indicator does not take account of the quality of articles, i.e. of their reception by the scientific community.

Honest craftsmen

One thing is clear: China is the only country with ten years of progress to two digits of his scientific production. For the moment, this explosive growth has focused on subjects deemed strategic for reasons of military or industrial supremacy: materials, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, computer. In these six activities, the "market share" Chinese research ranges from 10 to 20 of the total world. In sub-sectors abandoned by the developed countries, Beijing access even to the rank of leader. "This is the case for all research on coal, where they are virtually the only maintain teams," confirms the President of the CNRS, Catherine Bréchignac. Recently, the Middle Kingdom is also launched in the attack on the life sciences. Here too, progress seems to spectacular, including Immunology and microbiology.

Last year, China produced 112,000 publications, against approximately 80,000 for the Germany and the Japan and 60,000 for the France. What is the value of this mass of results Are the originality and relevance the appointment The integrating rankings impact factor of publications (considering so their quality), the country switches beyond the tenth in the world. Chinese scientists also have a reputation for being honest craftsmen, i.e. large reckon obedient and moderately creative. American universities are full of post-docs from Shanghai and Chengdu working 14 hours a day and accepting further down the line repetitive tasks. "These are Asian post-docs who are turning the U.S. academic laboratories", meant on the campus of transatlantic.

Beijing pushes its researchers

The Chinese Government, for intellectual reputation, is also known for "very firmly" encourage local researchers to publish. High premiums are available to authors who found grace with committees of reading of "Science" or "Nature". Beijing also launched a campaign to return the country to seduce its nationals installed in foreign laboratories, especially in the United States.

Manos Perros, Vice President of research in the US pharmaceutical group Pfizer, the quality of Chinese academic research is in net progress. "They are capable of doing in a month seeking six months in Western countries," indicates this infectious diseases specialist at the United Kingdom. As all industrial pharmacy, the American Group has a centre for research in China becoming a serious competitor to its European counterparts. "Researchers from the Western countries would do well to take into account the effectiveness and productivity of their Chinese colleagues", warns Manos Perros. Everyone does not share this point of view. American University officials feel that the political system of China is totally inconsistent with the scientific establishment and that there is therefore not to worry.

Other data confirms the undeniable effort of the Middle Kingdom to integrate the world of the knowledge economy: access to higher education. According to official data, the number of students in Chinese universities has quintupled since 2000 to reach a total close to 25 million.