> In Western and especially American academia, there are private sector grants and commercialization avenues for research. Outside of top tier programs, that's

> In Western and especially American academia, there are private sector grants and commercialization avenues for research. Outside of top tier programs, that's nonexistent in most Asian countries, so your department's funding is at the whim of government bureaucrats who tend to be recruited via civil service exams and promoted based on political loyalty, not based on domain experience. This is sad, and misinformed. Multiple countries fund their academic research through the state. Adding the misinformation about being "promoted based on political loyalty" is a strong sign of your bias. Funding can only come through one of three routes: 1. State - which is where people are supposed to be working for the betterment of their country, but is vulnerable to the bias of the politics of the day. 2. Private - which is where people are motivated by a profit, but is vulnerable to the bias of the politics of the company. 3. Voluntary/Charity - which is where people are motivated by whatever wakes them up in the morning, but is vulnerable to the donors. ALL funding models are vulnerable to the bias of whoever is in control of the funding.