Earlier this year, China announced plans for 600 of its universities to be converted to polytechnic institutes. The rationale for this change is that China's universities have become too similar and have been producing an oversupply of graduates in the same fields and not meeting the needs of industry for more technically trained graduates.

Zhao Zhihao from Beijing Polytechnic, the biggest vocational school in the Chinese capital, is learning basic lathe and turning work at the institute. [China Daily photo]

This is both a warranted and much needed change and the rationale is valid. In making this transition, China has the opportunity to redefine the nature of "university" and "polytechnic." In many respects the previous conceptions of these institutions have become outdated. For example, most universities have embraced technology, and public universities produce some of the finest engineering and technical graduates.

Similarly, it is increasingly recognized that the division between theory and practice have always been a false dichotomy. The best theory is unlikely to be the best if it is not grounded in the reality of practice. The best practice is unlikely to be the best unless it is theoretically sound. Traditional courses such as law, for example, now incorporate legal clinics and other experiences so that students develop the skills to be a lawyer as opposed to merely learning to think like a lawyer.

China has the opportunity to look forward and redefine tertiary education. In doing so, accrediting bodies and education departments need to provide universities and polytechnics with greater freedom and autonomy to develop courses that respond to the market, focus on research partnerships with industry and bridge the gap between work and university, as well as between secondary and tertiary education. Increasingly, organizations at all levels need to find a common language so that learning in all of its various forms and contexts is recognized and integrated across sectors and throughout the life of an individual.

I hope China's tertiary institutions will realize that technology is no longer an option but must be part of every course of tertiary study. This includes learning how to best use the latest technology and providing critical research about the impact of technology on society and business.