Iris Zhao

How Does “Made in China 2025” Affect STEM Talent? Attributes to China’s Shifting Distribution of Skill and Employment.

Started June 28, 2023

Abstract or project description

This paper examines the impact of the “Made in China 2025” initiative, the Chinese Central Government’s blueprint for technologically innovative manufacturing and development, on STEM education and occupations, which may provide critical insights into the changing order of China’s workforce. The dominant explanations for MIC 2025 remain generic studies that have primarily relied on cross-sectional data and qualitative growth forecasts. In order to fill knowledge gaps regarding potential progress made with the initiative, quantitative data will be analyzed through simple linear regression models. Specifically, I will use panel data spanning an 11-year period (2010 - 2021) on the STEM career aspirations of Chinese students in comparison with the growth rate of industries under MIC 2025’s techno-industrial agendas. I estimate that my findings will indicate a positive correlation between the prosperity of China’s high-tech enterprises and the increasing skill levels as well as the value of STEM workers. Further investigation may suggest that the persisting inequality within China’s labor force can also be attributed to state-led industrial policies such as MIC 2025.