Female academics on fixed-term contracts at Chinese universities are twice as likely to modify their childbearing plans as tenured colleagues, according to a survey that indicates that the introduction of a “publish or perish” mentality in the country’s higher education system has been exacerbated by limited adoption of mother-friendly workplace practices.

The survey, completed by 453 female researchers, found that 69.1 percent of respondents who were on insecure contracts had either moved forward or delayed their plans to have children, compared with 37.1 percent who were permanently employed.