Insightful article! It demonstrates why China has been advancing as fast as it has been.
I’m not sure the suicide level is due to academic pressure though.
According to the CDC, the suicide rate for 15-24 year olds in the US is about 4 times higher than China’s, and unfortunately, academic performance in the US seems to be at an all time low.
I think social factors have a more significant influence on young people.
Maybe because China does not have "firearm" as a convenient method to die (used in more than half of the death cases according to the source)...Very interesting to see this, and I agree that probably other social factors play roles as well (not sure about the academic performance part haha).
Statistics describing the youth suicide rate in the US have no explanatory power for the youth suicide rate in a completely different cultural context. If we can generalize what we know about the US youth suicide phenomenon to the Chinese context, why don't we also generalize to, say, Zimbabwe or Finland? Does that sound logical to you? From the above article we know the Chinese educational system is radically different from any system found in the US. Concerning academic pressure specifically and its causal link to suicide, consider that suicide after the Gaokao is a well known phenomenon in China. There is no analogue to this in the US.
Having just spent a couple of weeks in Beijing, Xiamen and Shenzhen, following a trip to five other cities in April/May, the mood among grads is depressed - even those from elite universities like Tsinghua and Fudan struggling to get well paid roles and their friends who have done work punishing hours (60-70 hr weeks typical), not just in tech sector but even SOEs. The Western world is now facing a huge graduate glut as AI cuts lower rungs from the cognitive career ladder, China just got there first...
In my first semester studying in Chongqing Uni, there was a protest outside the main teaching building (教学楼). It was relatives and friends of campus suicides with placards saying something like: "8 suicides at FoxConn so far (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn_suicides), 9 suicides at Chongqing University". I can't verify the numbers, but it was well-known that you'd get university faculty and students jumping from the top floors of the (28-storey) 教学楼. One time we had to pause class (in the same building) because of a jumper.
My Chinese friends and teachers thought it was bizarre that they put the high-pressure STEM PhD researchers on the top floor.
A couple of years later, they'd solved the problem by fixing metal bars across the windows and barricading the door to the rooftop so you couldn't realistically jump off.
It always seemed strange that none of my Chinese friends at the Uni were under much stress at all! Only just realised that it's a selection effect...the intense STEM grinders weren't going to be spending their afternoons hanging out with random foreigners.
Great article Zilan. This was such a moving and sobering read. It captures so well that mix of ambition, exhaustion, and fear that defines so much of elite education and tech work in China. It left me both grateful for your 'from-the-inside' perspective and deeply sad for what it costs.
Such an insightful piece, Zilan! My question is regards to how those not from the top tier schools are perceived in tech/startup - how much does where you went to school matter when raising capital or being hired at an established or tech startup.
The piece mentions the skills of students entering average universities being stagnated due to lack of resources. What happens to these individuals? In the US, the idea and ability to execution tends to outweigh where you went to school - sometimes listing "Stanford dropout" is almost a badge of honor.
Do you see China moving towards that pathway, maybe through insights/lived experiences of founders that were educated or have worked in the US and building tech in China? It seems those outside the ~1% of getting into the top universities are underutilized potential wasted.
In general, I don't see this happening, especially given the unemployment crisis + government encouraging universities to open up more degree programs/enroll more students. Many employers care not only about the highest degree achieved but also the "first degree" (i.e., where you did your undergrad). It is much easier to use degrees to filter people when you have over-supply problems.
From a more cultural perspective, education is very important partly because of Confucian culture and China's imperial examination system (civil servant selection). I think the average Chinese value elite uni degrees more than people in the US.
Such a meaningful piece, thank you… While the education system in both countries has become untenable, it’s so important to hear the real stories behind “success.”
Great article! I’d be curious to see specific stats for AI talent in India, South Korea, and Japan. While their education systems are also incredibly competitive, it still feels like Chinese researchers are more prevalent at the top-tier institutes.
This is like calling a glass half empty instead of half full. I agree there should be support for everyone, and resources are limited. The 80/20 rule dictates this method when a country has 1.4 billion people. The 20% that are most productive needs to be the best of the best to be able to support the 80% of the least productive. It’s either this or a breakdown of society.
It may sound heartless but more people will suffer if society breaks down. What is more heartless? We are starting to see this in the West. The infighting has started. Haiti is the end result when the top 20% can't support the bottom 80%. It's good that China is turning to automation, because it'll leverage the top 20% ability to support the bottom 80%.
It's interesting because it has been like this since we were young back in the 1980s. We were the first few batches of Chinese students who can walk to their near by youth centres to learn Basic - thanks to the then initiative started by Deng Xiaoping to built a pipeline of computer talents. Yet the iPhones and Nvdia are still born out of the Silicon Valley.
Appreciated this and agree with basically all of it. What do you think is the alternative given China’s circumstances though? E.g. what policy changes would you implement?
I'm curious about the day to day life in such a meat grinder of a society. What becomes of the under achievers? Are they still living under a 996 work culture? It's hard to find writing that is humanist first and foremost. Is anyone writing about this and does it appear in English?
Not sure about the work culture stuff, but on school life, especially high school, there is a new book that came out called "The Highest Exam" (I have not and probably will not read it because this is too traumatic). My prof also had a book called "Meritocracy and Its Discontents," and I can say this one is very much a humanist angle. Also some BBC documentaries I believe (one is called "A Purpose Built School"). Still, I would say situations and experiences vary widely based on where you are and your socioeconomic status. Unfortunately, rural kids usually suffer more if they want to make achievements through this pipeline.
I think you're correct in noting historically, that "faculty in American academia are unlikely to be denied tenure at the end of their review periods" and "have flexibility to move to other institutions". Whilst anecdotal, many of my US colleagues have said that this has is no longer the case. Thankyou.
Insightful article! It demonstrates why China has been advancing as fast as it has been.
I’m not sure the suicide level is due to academic pressure though.
According to the CDC, the suicide rate for 15-24 year olds in the US is about 4 times higher than China’s, and unfortunately, academic performance in the US seems to be at an all time low.
I think social factors have a more significant influence on young people.
https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/data.html
Maybe because China does not have "firearm" as a convenient method to die (used in more than half of the death cases according to the source)...Very interesting to see this, and I agree that probably other social factors play roles as well (not sure about the academic performance part haha).
Statistics describing the youth suicide rate in the US have no explanatory power for the youth suicide rate in a completely different cultural context. If we can generalize what we know about the US youth suicide phenomenon to the Chinese context, why don't we also generalize to, say, Zimbabwe or Finland? Does that sound logical to you? From the above article we know the Chinese educational system is radically different from any system found in the US. Concerning academic pressure specifically and its causal link to suicide, consider that suicide after the Gaokao is a well known phenomenon in China. There is no analogue to this in the US.
Having just spent a couple of weeks in Beijing, Xiamen and Shenzhen, following a trip to five other cities in April/May, the mood among grads is depressed - even those from elite universities like Tsinghua and Fudan struggling to get well paid roles and their friends who have done work punishing hours (60-70 hr weeks typical), not just in tech sector but even SOEs. The Western world is now facing a huge graduate glut as AI cuts lower rungs from the cognitive career ladder, China just got there first...
In my first semester studying in Chongqing Uni, there was a protest outside the main teaching building (教学楼). It was relatives and friends of campus suicides with placards saying something like: "8 suicides at FoxConn so far (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn_suicides), 9 suicides at Chongqing University". I can't verify the numbers, but it was well-known that you'd get university faculty and students jumping from the top floors of the (28-storey) 教学楼. One time we had to pause class (in the same building) because of a jumper.
My Chinese friends and teachers thought it was bizarre that they put the high-pressure STEM PhD researchers on the top floor.
A couple of years later, they'd solved the problem by fixing metal bars across the windows and barricading the door to the rooftop so you couldn't realistically jump off.
It always seemed strange that none of my Chinese friends at the Uni were under much stress at all! Only just realised that it's a selection effect...the intense STEM grinders weren't going to be spending their afternoons hanging out with random foreigners.
Great article Zilan. This was such a moving and sobering read. It captures so well that mix of ambition, exhaustion, and fear that defines so much of elite education and tech work in China. It left me both grateful for your 'from-the-inside' perspective and deeply sad for what it costs.
I appreciate the writing and detailed evidence to support your article-very useful for understanding a different education system.
A very interesting article. Need to read it for a second time. Thank you for educating this old hermit.
Such an insightful piece, Zilan! My question is regards to how those not from the top tier schools are perceived in tech/startup - how much does where you went to school matter when raising capital or being hired at an established or tech startup.
The piece mentions the skills of students entering average universities being stagnated due to lack of resources. What happens to these individuals? In the US, the idea and ability to execution tends to outweigh where you went to school - sometimes listing "Stanford dropout" is almost a badge of honor.
Do you see China moving towards that pathway, maybe through insights/lived experiences of founders that were educated or have worked in the US and building tech in China? It seems those outside the ~1% of getting into the top universities are underutilized potential wasted.
In general, I don't see this happening, especially given the unemployment crisis + government encouraging universities to open up more degree programs/enroll more students. Many employers care not only about the highest degree achieved but also the "first degree" (i.e., where you did your undergrad). It is much easier to use degrees to filter people when you have over-supply problems.
From a more cultural perspective, education is very important partly because of Confucian culture and China's imperial examination system (civil servant selection). I think the average Chinese value elite uni degrees more than people in the US.
Such a meaningful piece, thank you… While the education system in both countries has become untenable, it’s so important to hear the real stories behind “success.”
I’ll never forget how at my undergrad (UPenn), the Chinese-language department started putting on Chinese-language mental health seminars. More reasons to not cut funding for the humanities ! (@UCs and privates alike: https://calmatters.org/education/2025/09/neh-humanties-grants-california-colleges/)
I'm grateful that they're putting in the work. Brutal and probably a misallocation of much talent, but the world benefits.
Great article! I’d be curious to see specific stats for AI talent in India, South Korea, and Japan. While their education systems are also incredibly competitive, it still feels like Chinese researchers are more prevalent at the top-tier institutes.
Do you think there would be more research output from China if they funded training and education more evenly?
Seems like there would at least be fewer suicides, a healthier and happier student culture, etc.
This is like calling a glass half empty instead of half full. I agree there should be support for everyone, and resources are limited. The 80/20 rule dictates this method when a country has 1.4 billion people. The 20% that are most productive needs to be the best of the best to be able to support the 80% of the least productive. It’s either this or a breakdown of society.
It may sound heartless but more people will suffer if society breaks down. What is more heartless? We are starting to see this in the West. The infighting has started. Haiti is the end result when the top 20% can't support the bottom 80%. It's good that China is turning to automation, because it'll leverage the top 20% ability to support the bottom 80%.
It's interesting because it has been like this since we were young back in the 1980s. We were the first few batches of Chinese students who can walk to their near by youth centres to learn Basic - thanks to the then initiative started by Deng Xiaoping to built a pipeline of computer talents. Yet the iPhones and Nvdia are still born out of the Silicon Valley.
Appreciated this and agree with basically all of it. What do you think is the alternative given China’s circumstances though? E.g. what policy changes would you implement?
I'm curious about the day to day life in such a meat grinder of a society. What becomes of the under achievers? Are they still living under a 996 work culture? It's hard to find writing that is humanist first and foremost. Is anyone writing about this and does it appear in English?
Not sure about the work culture stuff, but on school life, especially high school, there is a new book that came out called "The Highest Exam" (I have not and probably will not read it because this is too traumatic). My prof also had a book called "Meritocracy and Its Discontents," and I can say this one is very much a humanist angle. Also some BBC documentaries I believe (one is called "A Purpose Built School"). Still, I would say situations and experiences vary widely based on where you are and your socioeconomic status. Unfortunately, rural kids usually suffer more if they want to make achievements through this pipeline.
I think you're correct in noting historically, that "faculty in American academia are unlikely to be denied tenure at the end of their review periods" and "have flexibility to move to other institutions". Whilst anecdotal, many of my US colleagues have said that this has is no longer the case. Thankyou.