On The Development Of Chinese Agricultural Science And Technology Institution During The20^th Century

Agricultural science and technology, as "the first productive force", is a fundamental condition for agricultural development. The construction of a national agricultural science and technology institution-an organization and system safeguard for progress in agricultural science and technology-is of particular importance, since Chinese agricultural development is in a critical stage which demands secured food supplies for the whole nation, increase income for farmers, more efficient farming, establishing of ecological environment, and building agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics. However, the current agricultural science and technology institution of China is with serious limitations that affects progress in scientific research on agriculture and prevents innovation in agricultural science and technology. The solution to this problem is to reform and improve this institution, before which it is necessary to survey the current agricultural science and technology institution of China and explore approaches to innovating this institution.A science and technology institution consists of subsystems of organization, patterns of management and mechanisms of operation. Since China implemented its policies of reform and opening to the outside, especially since the central government issued its Decisions on Reform in the Science and Technology System, establishment of a sound system of science and technology has been a hot topic receiving increasing attention of the academic circle. The related questions that have been well studied are the limitations in the system, restrictions to its operation and solutions to these problems, but questions, such as how the current science and technology system came into being, what are its characteristics, how its problems occurred, and what experience and achievement the government has acquired in constructing this institution, have not been systematically studied. The investigation of the historical development of China’s science and technology institution is obviously insufficient and unsystematic. In this dissertation, the historical development of China’s science and technology institution in different stages of the past century is surveyed. With reference to available historical documents and literature, China’s science and technology institution of the past century has been reviewed, and four important historical stages have been identified. At the same time, A comprehensive analysis for the influences on Chinese institution of the model of science and technology institution in different countries have been explored. Finally, their characteristics of the changes in China’s agricultural science and technology institution and several effects on our institution have been summarized, and strategies and measures for improvement of this system are suggested.The body of this dissertation consists of seven parts as follows:First, analysis is made of initial stage the development of China’s agricultural science and technology system in terms of its systemization and establishment with findings of the government and the society believing in the contribution of agricultural science and technology, constructing a macro-management and organization system of research on agriculture, gradually isolating this management from government administration, increasing the body of managerial structure, and forming the prototype of China’s agricultural science and technology system.Second, description is made on the co-existing situations of agricultural science and technology system in the Guo-min-dang-controlled areas, the Communist party-liberated areas and the Japanese invaded area. The influences those situations had on the formation of the Chinese agricultural science and technology system after the founding of the People’s Republic of China.Third, introduction is made of initial establishment and the fluctuating adjustments of the country’s agricultural science and technology system after the founding of the People’s Republic of China by analyzing changes in agricultural administrative patterns from the highly concentrated, unified and mandatory management to planned and guideline patterns which made cooperative work on scientific research more rational and reasonable under centralized administration and contributed to the construction of the system of agricultural science and technology extension, and exploring the reasons for hierarchical relationships between agricultural science and technology organizations, their diversity, the separation of management between overlapping and scattering government departments and regions.Fourth, review and reflection are made on the practice and effectiveness of reform and innovation in China’s agricultural science and technology system after the implementing the policies of reforming and opening to the outside world (from1978up to now) by affirming the reform and innovation in directing agricultural science and technology to the country’s economic construction and objectively presenting contradictions and problems existing in the basic and public benefit-oriented nature of agricultural science and technology under the system of market economy after implementing new granting system by the government.Fifth, a historical review is made of the model of science and technology institution in different countries such as Japan, the United States and the former Soviet Union influenced on the formation of China’s agricultural science and technology institution.Sixth, an integrated summary is made of the historical changes of China’s one-century-long agricultural science and technology institution in terms of organizational system, operational mechanism and features of these changes; this part analyses several factors of effecting institution that are endowment of natural resources and our country national condition、social and political environment and governmental policies、 revolution of agricultural science and technology in the world and the characteristic of the development of agricultural science and technology,the market demand and integration of the global economy.Finally, a brief analysis is made of the situation of the current agricultural science and technology institution and major problems in the institution. And based on the experience and inspiration derived from the changes in China’s agricultural science and technology institution, the present author proposes strategies for the improvement of China’s agricultural science and technology institution, suggesting that emphasis be laid on establishing an innovation system of agricultural science and technology, optimizing the creative mechanisms of agricultural administration, perfecting the investment in agricultural science and technology, establishing an integrated system agricultural science and technology extension system by both the state and private or non-governmental organization and a poly-system of evaluation of science and technology, so that a historical and scientific basis is laid for reform and innovation of China’s agricultural science and technology institution.