Creativity, originality, and entrepreneurship in China

[bhchao]

I came across this interesting editorial in the NYTimes today about the efforts in China to stimulate independent thinking and creativity.

I think Chinese students have the brainpower. However memorization of facts and data is one thing, but being able to conduct individual, independent analysis or thinking of new ways to apply this knowledge is another.

China's efforts to make its students more innovative resembles Wang Anshi's attempts during Northern Song in reforming the civil service exams to make them more practical and creative, rather than emphasize rote learning, so students can apply their writing skills and practical knowledge for analyzing current problems.

BEIJING

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

by Thomas L. Friedman.

Published: November 4, 2005

"There is a techie adage that goes like this: In China or Japan the nail that stands up gets hammered, while in Silicon Valley the nail that stands up drives a Ferrari and has stock options. Underlying that adage is a certain American confidence that whatever we lack in preparing our kids with strong fundamentals in math and science, we make up for by encouraging our best students to be independent, creative thinkers.

There is a lot of truth to that. Even the Chinese will tell you that they've been good at making the next new thing, and copying the next new thing, but not imagining the next new thing. That may be about to change. Confident that its best K-12 students will usually outperform America's in math and science, China is focusing on how to transform its classrooms so students become more innovative.

"Although we are enjoying a very fast growth of our economy, we own very little intellectual property," Wu Qidi, China's vice minister of education, told me. "We are so proud of China's four great inventions [in the past]: the compass, paper-making, printing and gunpowder. But in the following centuries we did not keep up that pace of invention. Those inventions fully prove what the Chinese people are capable of doing - so why not now? We need to get back to that nature." Nurturing more "creative thinking and entrepreneurship are the exact issues we are putting attention to today." But this bumps head-on against Chinese culture and politics, which still emphasize conformity.

But for how much longer? Check out Microsoft Research Asia, the research center Bill Gates set up in Beijing to draw on Chinese brainpower. In 1998, Microsoft gave IQ tests to some 2,000 top Chinese engineers and scientists and hired 20. Today it has 200 full-time Chinese researchers. Harry Shum, a Carnegie Mellon-trained computer engineer who runs the lab, has a very clear view of what Chinese innovators can do, given the right environment. The Siggraph convention is the premier global conference for computer graphics and interactive technologies. At Siggraph 2005, 98 papers were published from research institutes all over the world.

Nine of them - almost 10 percent - came from Microsoft's Chinese research center, beating out M.I.T. and Stanford. Dr. Shum said: "In 1999 we had one paper published. In 2000, we had one. In 2001, we had two. In 2002, we had four. In 2003 we had three. In 2004, we had five, and this year we are very lucky to have nine." Do you see a pattern?

In addition, Microsoft Beijing has contributed more than 100 new technologies for current Microsoft products - from the Xbox to Windows. That's a huge leap in seven years, although, outside the hothouses like Microsoft, China still has a way to go.

Dr. Shum said: "A Chinese journalist once asked me, 'Harry, tell me honestly, what is the difference between China and the U.S.? How far is China behind?' I joked, 'Well, you know, the difference between China high-tech and American high-tech is only three months - if you don't count creativity.' When I was a student in China 20 years ago, we didn't even know what was happening in the U.S. Now, anytime an M.I.T. guy puts up something on the Internet, students in China can absorb it in three months.

"But could someone here create it? That is a whole other issue. I learned mostly about how to do research right at Carnegie Mellon. ... Before you create anything new, you need to understand what is already there. Once you have this foundation, being creative can be trainable. China is building that foundation. So very soon, in 10 or 20 years, you will see a flood of top-quality research papers from China."

Once more original ideas emerge, though, China will need more venture capital and the rule of law to get them to market. "Some aspects of Chinese culture did not encourage independent thinking," Dr. Shum said. "But with venture capital coming into this country, it will definitely inspire a new generation of Chinese entrepreneurs. I will be teaching a class at Tsinghua University next year on how to do technology-based ventures. ... You have technology in Chinese universities, but people don't know what to do with it - how to marketize it."

A few of his young Chinese inventors demonstrated their new products for me. I noticed that several of them had little granite trophies lined up on their shelves. I asked one of them, who had seven or eight blocks on her shelf, "What are those?" She said the researchers got them from Microsoft every time they invented something that got patented.

How do you say "Ferrari" in Chinese? "

[Celso Pin]

but... there is some myths in these assumptions...

nothing against my brothers americans (me be an american indian! lol). However, most of american "criativity" is not really american... think about the "americans" nobel prizes received by "naturalized" american citizens... the same occurs regarding "creative" scientific production...

In this meaning, i think this "creativity" in the article is measured by american standards... and... this is the same to assess democracy around the world based on american standard.

this is my 2 "centavos de réis"

[skylee]

Do we need the word "marketize"? It reminds me of the word "pedestianisation".

[bhchao]

However, most of american "creativity" is not really american... think about the "americans" nobel prizes received by "naturalized" american citizens... the same occurs regarding "creative" scientific production

There is some truth to that. A lot of the technological advances made in Silicon Valley during the 90's tech boom were made by foreign R&D workers educated at American universities, comprising of many Indian and Chinese citizens.

Many Asian students born in Asia who study at American universities are returning to their home countries and finding employment there.

South Korea is a country where research and development organizations have strong support from the government. Lots of MIT undergrads from Korea are pursuing graduate studies and post-grad work in Seoul and elsewhere.

Once there is an environment in China that fosters creative thinking and originality, I wonder how much success the Chinese government will have in drafting all these intellectual patent and trademark laws. Otherwise there will be rampant plagiarism.

[Green Pea]

little granite trophies

Hilarious. Microsoft gets the profits and owns the patent. The creative Chinese guys/gals get a granite trophy. This is creativity? What am I missing?

nothing against my brothers americans (me be an american indian! lol). However, most of american "criativity" is not really american... think about the "americans" nobel prizes received by "naturalized" american citizens... the same occurs regarding "creative" scientific production...

That is America. Lots of naturalised citizens working hard. Do you see China giving millions of foreigners Chinese citizenship so they can live in China and create stuff?

Once there is an environment in China that fosters creative thinking and originality, I wonder how much success the Chinese government will have in drafting all these intellectual patent and trademark laws. Otherwise there will be rampant plagiarism.

Good point. China doesn't need creativity. It needs rigidity of laws.

[Celso Pin]

I ask because in my economics (BSc) course (here in Brazil!) i have creativity classes (one semester) ... It was great... it included surrealist excercises (with surrealist, i mean... surrealist... its not semantic...).

One of the textbooks was "Whack On the Side of the Head" by Roger Von Oech. Its a light reading an a really mind "opener" book (in the creativity meaning, of course).

I recommend!

[bhchao]

Good point. China doesn't need creativity. It needs rigidity of laws.

Then what you are suggesting is anarchy in business. Business needs a legal framework to flourish without infringing on the reputation and property rights of business owners. Intellectual property laws do not inhibit creativity. Instead they help preserve originality by recognizing the original author as the rightful owner or inventor of a product/idea.

This reminds me of what happened with DTF a couple years ago. Some restaurant start-up took the name "Din Tai Fung" as its name and logo, without the permission of the real DTF in Taipei. Years later, the restaurant start-up collapsed due to service-related problems. Did this have an adverse effect on the reputation of the real DTF? It certainly did to some degree on people who never heard of the Taipei restaurant.

To safeguard the business reputation of his family name, one of the sons of Mr. Yang (who founded the original branch) opened a new branch in Arcadia, CA with the same quality of service as Taipei. And based on the daily number of customers he receives, that store has been a success since day one.

[Green Pea]

Quote:

Good point. China doesn't need creativity. It needs rigidity of laws.

Then what you are suggesting is anarchy in business. Business needs a legal framework to flourish without infringing on the reputation and property rights of business owners. Intellectual property laws do not inhibit creativity. Instead they help preserve originality by recognizing the original author as the rightful owner or inventor of a product/idea.

I think you misunderstood my meaning or I wasn't clear enough. I agree with you. Laws should be rigid. That's what China needs to focus on. A solid legal framework is necessary otherwise creativity gains are lost to foreign companies, as in the case with Microsoft. I'm not optimistic though, except for Hong Kong.