Forum calls for more creativity to drive tech innovation

China needs more creative professionals to accelerate innovation as a core part of the country’s strategy to become a technology-driven economy, experts said during a recent forum.

“We have a lot of educated professionals with solid academic capabilities, but we need them to become more curious and innovative to invoke further tech-related exploration,” said Lu Xiongwen, dean of Fudan University's School of Management.

Lu spoke at the school's annual forum, which is held every January to herald future growth in the country.

In 2020, China achieved great advances despite the pandemic. The country’s gross domestic product surpassed 100 trillion yuan (US$15.42 trillion) for the first time and met poverty reduction targets. Big strides were also made in space exploration and scientific development.

“However, we still need to be aware of our weakness in basic education that places too much emphasis on academic correctness, stifling students' creativity and innovation,” Lu said. “At a time when technology drives competitiveness, we should nurture more creative innovation.”

Sun Jinyun, associate professor at the school, said scientists should take more human–related elements into consideration when developing technology.

“We have witnessed many cases of technology being developed too quickly that resulted in incompatibility," Sun said. "Scientists must learn to better match the needs of people with new technologies."

Reflecting this notion, China has launched a campaign to make digital technology easier for and more accessible to elderly people.