education

Was China’s Teen Math Star Set Up to Succeed?

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

A 17-year-old student from a tiny Chinese village became a national sensation by reaching the final of a global math contest. Now, officials say her math teacher helped her.

He Qitong

In China, Young Women Are Now More Educated Than Their Spouses

Chinese women born after 1990 have on average a higher education level than their husbands, a new study has found.

Jiang Xinyi

Pointing Fingers: Exhibition Zooms In on Student Stress

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

A young photographer has focused her lens on the “writer’s callus” to reflect the realities of life for Chinese school students.

White Night Workshop

Elder Care Graduates in Hot Demand in China

As China’s population rapidly ages, elder care facilities are scrambling to secure access to young talent.

Fan Yiying

In China, Extreme Heat Is Disrupting the Start of the School Year

Some Chinese schools are postponing classes and others asking parents to donate air conditioning units as an intense heat wave stretches into September.

Li Xin

Lin Liuhan

Gen Z Interns Answering Call of the Countryside

Chinese university students are increasingly taking summer jobs in agriculture and other rural sectors as they look to broaden their horizons.

Shanghai Observer

Why China’s Parents Are Bulk-Buying Recycling Waste Online

Chinese schools are trying to teach kids to recycle by making them collect huge volumes of plastic waste every month. The result: a thriving online trade in used milk cartons.

Chinese Women Spark Fury After Locking Crying Toddler in Plane Toilet

The women said they were just trying to help the child’s grandparents “set some rules.”

Why China’s Universities Are Ditching Their Engineering Programs

Universities are revamping their degree offerings in line with the government’s economic priorities.

Social Class: Art Professor’s Bite-size Videos Click With Netizens

A Tsinghua University academic has earned an online following for her one-minute clips that introduce complicated art and design concepts in plain language.

Beijing Youth Daily

University Offers China’s First Marriage-Related Degree

The new program is being launched in response to the government’s push to “construct harmonious families.”

Ding Rui

Why China’s Degree Programs Are Getting Longer

Universities across China are lengthening their postgraduate degree programs, as students look to delay entering the job market.

Li Miaoran

Creative Chaos: The Chinese Students Pushing the Limits of Art

Pink performance, model noses, and a wholesale “home” — experimental art students at the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts embrace the unconventional in search of self-expression.

Oh! Youth (36Kr)

At China’s Top Schools, Good Isn’t Always Enough

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

As the competition gets fiercer, even the winners worry their success is only temporary.

Zhu  Lili

China’s Movie of the Summer Is a Dark Satire on Tiger Parents

Comedy ‘Successor’ has touched a nerve in China with its tale of ambitious, controlling parents that turn their son’s life into a version of ‘The Truman Show.’

In China, AI Enters a New Arena: The Civil Service Exam

Tutoring candidates to ace China’s civil service exams has become a lucrative industry in recent years. Now, companies are rushing to integrate artificial intelligence into their services.

Ye Zhanhang

Chinese University Launches ‘Panda Studies’ Program

The college aims to train experts who can contribute to China’s drive to save the much-loved but vulnerable species.

As Summer Vacation Begins, Museum Fever Grips China

Chinese museums are experiencing a surge in demand this summer, with tickets selling out days in advance.

Up or Out: The Ruthless Tenure Race for Young Chinese Scholars

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

In many Chinese universities, young academics grapple with the pressures of a competitive tenure system, balancing research, teaching, and administrative duties. They have six years to meet specific criteria and secure a promotion, or face dismissal.

Luo Yahan

Wang Jingyang

In China, Even Stanford Grads Are Fighting for Civil Service Jobs

A Stanford University graduate has ignited a social media storm by taking a job with an obscure township government in eastern China — highlighting the ferocious competition for state-sector positions.