Recent data show that among the 1.43 million postgraduate students in China in 2012, females outnumbered males for the first time - by 40,000. There is no difference between the contribution of men and women when it comes to scientific research even if men enjoy an advantage in many fields. In fact, women's contribution to scientific research could be greater with the passage of time, says an article in China Business News. Excerpts:

Earlier studies hinted that China was "50 years" behind the United States in terms of science and technology and their contribution to economic growth. But going by the improvement in technology and the cultivation of talents, China has gradually bridged the gap with the US, especially because it took only a decade for women to outnumber men in the field of scientific research.

Another aspect that the data reveals is that the education a person receives - not his/her gender - decides whether he/she will become a talent in the field of science and technology. Although the male brain in general is 8 to 13 percent bigger than that of females, the latter have shown better understanding about the subject and have superior language aptitude.

This shows there is no obvious difference in the brain structure and intelligence quotient of men and women. Instead, female postgraduate students have outnumbered males because of their efforts and acquisition of knowledge. For example, female undergraduate and postgraduate students in China are more diligent than males.

Female students put in more efforts not because they are inferior, but because they honor the natural fact - the more you exercise your brain, the better and more creative it will become. A person who wants to excel in a particular field has to not only acquire knowledge but also to repeatedly practice the skills. Since male students today are no longer as hard-working as before, it is little wonder that they have been outnumbered by females.

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