Science and technology is the main force driving global change. And if humanity is to keep pace with this change, innovation and reform are essential. In China, home to one quarter of the world's population, major reforms have hit many sectors of society. Among these has been the science and technology (S&T) sector. In 1995, and at the request of the Chinese government, Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) assembled a team of experts to assess the reforms to China's S&T sector ù reforms that began in 1985 as an initiative of the State Science and Technology Commission (SSTC) of China. A Decade of Reform presents the findings of this ground-breaking mission, the first-ever external examination of societal reform in China. The book focuses on five themes ù basic research, the high-technology sector, traditional state-owned enterprises, agricultural research and rural development, and environmental and social developmentù and presents a description of China's S&T institutions and a brief history of the reforms to the S&T sector. Already, the findings of the highly successful IDRC/SSTC mission have influenced policy- and decision-making in China. A Decade of Reform should be read by anyone interested in S&T policy or in the reforms currently underway in China. It is a concise and readable analysis of a sector of Chinese society that will greatly guide the future of this huge nation and, indeed, be a force beyond its borders.