Universities in the West cannot afford to be complacent. They must look
towards Asia to understand the future of universities. The meteoric rise of China’s
university rankings has established the country as a global higher education
superpower. China has embarked on another ambitious plan to further strengthen its
higher education system. The Double World-Class Project is aimed not only at creating
world-class Chinese universities; it is part of a broader plan to build its impact and
influence in the global higher education landscape. The dominance of the West is
diminishing. China’s scientific ambition is to be the global science powerhouse.
Keywords: Nature Index, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths),
Tertiary Enrolment Rate (TER), The Belt and Road Initiative.
