热点英语新闻8：强基计划去年招不满，今年部分高校入围比例翻倍

Chinese Universities Change Tack After Tech Programs Fail to Lure Students
强基计划去年招不满，今年部分高校入围比例翻倍


pilot
n. 飞行员 / adj. 试点的 / v. 驾驶；试用
A person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft.
Done as an experiment or test before introducing something more widely.

pilotage n. 领航；驾驶术

词组
pilot program 试点计划
pilot plant 试验工场

例句
The pilot initiative has successfully been replicated.
该试点项目已经被成功复制。

Schools are piloting the new maths course.
学校正试用新的数学教程。


lure
n. & v. 诱惑
To draw with a hint of pleasure or gain: attract actively and strongly

词组
the lure of ...的诱惑
lure into 诱骗...进入（某处）或做（某事）

例句
They did not realize that they were being lured into a trap.
他们没有意识到正被人骗入圈套。

Few can resist the lure of adventure.
很少有人能抵御历险的诱惑力。


top-notch
adj. 拔尖的
Of the highest quality; excellent.

syn. superior

词组
top-notch curriculum 精品课程
top-notch talent 一流的人才

例句
Hingis is a top-notch tennis player.
辛吉斯是个网球高手。

Many of the lawyers come from top-notch law firms.
其中很多律师都来自顶尖律所。

36 of the country’s top schools including the famous Tsinghua and Peking universities had been involved in a pilot program called the Strong Foundation Plan. The Strong Foundation was launched last year to select and train students. And it was all part of a wider mission to ease the ongoing shortage of talent in areas including high-end chip and software design, intelligent technology and social sciences. So, you can see why this pilot program really matters to the country as a whole, as its long-term goal is to build up talent for critical tech industries in China.

Thank you for answering the ‘why is it important question' in advance. So, how come this strategy didn’t work out the way the schools were hoping for?

Well, a large part of the problem was that this scheme had a strong focus on research and advanced technological courses. But it seems that that students and parents alike still prefer more popular majors, such as finance and economics, rather than heavier, more technical subjects like maths or physics. The result was that these educational institutions ended up receiving far fewer student applications than they had been expecting.

Alright, well now the likes of Tsinghua and Peking university have had to gone back to the drawing board and come up with a brand new plan to lure in those bright, young minds. What do we need to know about this new plan?

Well, these universities have published new enrollment guidelines to draw in new scholars. They have essentially expanded their criteria in the hope of admitting more applicants to enroll in research and technology programs. According to plans issued as of Tuesday for next academic year, in order to qualify, eligible students should stand out in any of ten basic disciplines.

At the same time, the schools are also adding incentives to lure more talented students. For example, Peking University has implemented a tutorial system and has also appointed lecturers, top-notch young scholars and members of China’s prestigious national academies as tutors and class head-teachers. And changing public perception of so-called basic subjects also appears critical. As Xiong Bingqi, the head of 21st Century Education Research Institute said, quote “The key to improving the program’s attractiveness is to cultivate students’ interest in basic disciplines and improve the quality of talent training”.