Active Project

Fifteenth Five-Year Plan Studies

A systematic research initiative examining China's Fifteenth Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), with analysis of implications for higher education, scientific research priorities, and social policy development.

Status
Active
Start Date
2026
Plan Period
2026–2030
Lead Center
Center for Policy and Social Research
Focus Areas
Higher education, science policy, social development
Project Type
Policy Research

About the Project

The Fifteenth Five-Year Plan Studies project is a systematic research initiative examining China's Fifteenth Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) and its implications for higher education, scientific research, social governance, and academic publishing. The project builds on accumulated research into preceding Five-Year Plans and applies a structured analytical framework to the new planning cycle.

The project is particularly concerned with how national planning frameworks shape the research priorities of universities and research institutions; how they influence the development of academic publishing and scholarly communication infrastructure; and how planning goals interact with the international academic environment.

Research outputs from this project are intended to be useful to scholars studying Chinese higher education and science policy, to institutions navigating the policy environment shaped by the Plan, and to policymakers and international organizations engaged with China's academic sector.

Analytical Dimensions

Higher Education Development

Analysis of the Plan's goals for higher education expansion, university governance reform, talent development, and internationalisation.

Science and Technology Policy

Analysis of research and development targets, innovation system goals, key technology priorities, and science governance frameworks.

Social Policy Dimensions

Analysis of social development goals relevant to academic and knowledge work, including employment, social security, and digital inclusion.

Academic Publishing Implications

Assessment of how Plan policies on publishing, open science, intellectual property, and data governance affect scholarly communication.

International Engagement

Analysis of the Plan's framing of international academic cooperation, foreign talent programs, and engagement with global research networks.

Historical and Comparative Analysis

Systematic comparison with the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan, identifying continuities, shifts, and new priorities in the Fifteenth Plan.

Expected Publications

Research Report
China's Fifteenth Five-Year Plan: Implications for Higher Education and Scientific Research
In preparation
Policy Brief
Science Governance and Research Priority-Setting in the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan
In preparation
Working Paper
Academic Publishing and Scholarly Communication in China's Planning Framework: A Longitudinal Analysis
In preparation