New incentive policies to encourage doctoral degrees

Although many Chinese students are turning their backs on private colleges because of allegedly substandard programs and lax regulation, China's education authorities say they hope the country's private colleges will start offering doctorate degree programs soon.

"China's private education sector will play a decisive role in determining the success of our education reform," Sun Xiaobing, director of the policy and regulation department of the Ministry of Education, said at a recent seminar.

According to the reform plan the country's education authorities will create incentive policies to encourage qualified private colleges in China to start graduate and doctorate degree programs.