Chinahasneverbeforepaidmoreattentiontotheimportantinfluenceofintellectualsandtalentsinnationaldevelopment.
INTELLECTUALS,asthenamesuggests,arepeoplewithahighlevelofknowledgeandeducation,manyofwhomareexpertsspecializingincertainacademicfields.”ThisdefinitionwasgivenbyPresidentXiJinpingatameetingwithagroupofscientists,researchers,modelworkersandyoungpeople,duringhisinspectiontourofAnhuiProvince,ineasternChina.XiextendedhisgreetingstothemaheadofInternationalWorkers’Day(May1)andYouthDay(May4).Hehighlypraisedtheroleofintellectualsinthedevelopmentofnationalrevolution,constructionandreformthroughouthistory,andencouragedthemtotaketheleadinthecountry’snewinnovationdriveandcontributetothecountry’seconomicandsocialdevelopmentaswellastoimprovementofpublicwelfare.
Chinahasneverbeforepaidmoreattentiontotheimportantinfluenceofintellectualsandtalentinnationaldevelopment.Duringthe“culturalrevolution”(1966-1976),intellectualswerereferredtoasthe“stinkingninthcategory(thelowestofallthesocialclasses).”Sincereformandopening-upbegan–andespeciallysincethe18thCPCNationalCongress–Chineseleadersatalllevelsofgovernmenthavecontinuouslystrengthenedtheroleofintellectualsinsocialdevelopment.TheyhaveformedanewconceptwithChinesecharacteristicsofintellectualsandhavedevelopedanewstrategyofemployingpersonnel.OnJuly1,2016,atthe95thanniversaryofthefoundingoftheCommunistPartyofChina,XiJinpingsaidthatthecountryshould“gatherglobaltalentstogether.”
EncouragingChineseTalenttoReturnandServetheHomeland
WhenspeakingofChinesestudentsreturningfromstudyingabroad,weneedtofirstmentionthesurgeinthenumbersofChinesestudyingabroadoverthepastfewdecades.In1984,theStateCouncilreleasedProvisionalRegulationsonSelf-financedOverseasStudying,whichopenedadoorforChinesestudentswhowishedtostudyabroadattheirownexpense,makingChinaanetexporteroftalentforalongperiodoftime.AccordingtostatisticsfromtheMinistryofEducation,from1978to2004,thetotalnumberofChinesestudentsstudyingabroadwas815,000,butthenumberofstudentswhoreturnedfromstudyingoverseaswasonly198,000–amere24percent.
Overseasstudentswereunwillingtoreturnduetolowincomes,poorequipmentforresearchanddevelopment,inadequatefundsandthedifficultyofdevelopingresearchprojectsintophysicalproducts.
AsymposiumonbrainscienceandartificialintelligenceisheldinBeijingonMay8,2017.WiththeimprovementofChina’scomprehensivenationalstrengthandthechangeintalentpolicies,theseproblemsgraduallybegantobeaddressed.
In2007,theMinistryofHumanResourcesandSocialSecurity,theMinistryofEducation,theMinistryofScienceandTechnologyand13othernationalministriesjointlyissuedguidelinesentitledOpinionsontheEstablishmentofGreenChannelsforOverseasHigh-levelTalentstoReturnandWork,whichprovideddetailedinformationonexpectedwages,arrangementsforspousesandchildrenaswellasofferingpreferentialtaxpoliciesforentrepreneurstoenticetalentbacktoChina.
In2008,thecentralgovernmentdecidedtoimplementtheRecruitmentProgramofGlobalExperts,alsocalledthe“1,000TalentsPlan,”inabidtorallyhigh-levelprofessionalstoworkatnationalkeyinnovationprojects,nationalkeydisciplinesandlaboratories,state-ownedenterprises,andfinancialinstitutions,andvariousindustrialparksandhightechdevelopmentzones.Theprogramcalledforprominentscientistsandleadingtalentswhoareabletoachievebreakthroughsinkeytechnologies,inhopeofenhancingChina’shigh-techindustriesandemergingdisciplines.
Sofar,morethan6,000overseastalentedhighlevelworkershavebeenintroducedthrough12implementationsofthe“1,000TalentsPlan.”TheyincludeRaoYi,aneuro-biologistfromNorthwesternUniversity;ShiYigong,abiophysicsprofessorfromPrinceton;andAndrewChi-ChihYao,whorecentlygaveuphisAmericannationalitytobecomeamemberoftheChineseAcademyofSciencesandDeanoftheInstituteforInterdisciplinaryInformationSciences.
MinistriesandlocalgovernmentshavealsointroducedvariousinitiativessuchastheChangjiangScholarsProgramfromtheMinistryofEducation,the“100TalentsProgram”fromtheChineseAcademyofSciences(CAS),theBeijingOverseasTalentsProgram,aswellastheShanghaiRising-starProgram.OncehavingreturnedtoChina,thesetalentedpeopleplayapositiveroleinscientificinnovation,technologicalbreakthroughs,talentdevelopmentandhi-techindustrydevelopment,andareanimportantforceintheconstructionofanewinnovativecountry.The“100TalentsProgram”implementedbytheCAShasintroducedmorethan2,000talentedinnovatorssince1994.Over90percentofthemhavestudiedorworkedintechnologicallydevelopedcountriesinEuropeandNorthAmerica.Overthepast20years,about30academiciansofCASandCAE(theChineseAcademyofEngineering)werepartofthe“100TalentsProgram,”andmorethan500wontheNationalScienceFundforDistinguishedYoungScholars.
EncouragingTechnologicalInnovation
OnApril27,theUNGeneralAssemblyadoptedaresolutiondesignatingApril21asWorldCreativityandInnovationDay,formallyincorporatingtheconceptofmassentrepreneurshipandinnovation.TheconceptofmassentrepreneurshipandinnovationwasraisedbyPremierLiKeqiangatthe2014SummerDavosForum,whichafterwardsgainedmuchattentionintheinternationalcommunity.
Inrecentyears,Chinahasbeenattachinggreaterimportancetotechnologicalinnovationandincreasinginputinrelatedfields.AccordingtotheNationalInnovation-drivenDevelopmentStrategyOutlinein2016,Chinaaimstoestablishitselfasoneoftheworld’smostinnovativecountriesby2020,becomealeadinginnovatorby2030,andaleadingglobalsci&techpowerbythe100thanniversaryofthefoundingofthePeople’sRepublicofChinain2049.
“GreatscientificandtechnologicalcapacityisamustifChinaistobestrongandifpeople’slivesaretoimprove,”saidXiJinpingatanationaltechnologicalinnovationconferenceonMay30,2016.Thepresidentcalledinnovationanimportantforceindevelopment,andstressedtheroleofscientificresearchineconomicgrowth.Stressingthepriorityofdevelopingcutting-edgescienceandtechnology,XisaidChinashouldstrivetotakealeadingroleinsci&techresearch.
Heencouragedscientistsandtechnicianstorespondtothecountry’smajorstrategicdemands,andstressedtheimportanceoftherolethatscientificresearchplaysinpromotingoveralleconomicandsocialdevelopment.
In1999,tobolsterthenumberofsci&techprizesinChina,theStateCouncilissuedtheRegulationsontheStateScienceandTechnologyPrizesandestablishedfivenation-levelprizesinthisregard,includingtheStateHighestScienceandTechnologyAward,theStateNaturalScienceAward,theStateTechnologicalInventionAward,theNationalScienceandTechnologyProgressAward,andtheInternationalScientificandTechnologicalCooperationAward.TheStateHighestScienceandTechnologyAwardcomeswithaprizeofRMB5million,whichwassharedlastyearbypharmaceuticalchemistTuYouyouandphysicistZhaoZhongxian.
Inadditiontonationalawards,variousindustriesandinstitutionshavealsosetupdifferentlevelsofscienceandtechnologyawardstocontinuetoencouragescientificandtechnologicalinnovationandpromotelocalscientificandtechnologicalprogressatindustrylevel.
Startinglastyear,inordertoencouragethetransformationofscientificandtechnologicalachievements,Chinaintroducedregulationstoincreasetheincomeofresearchers.Alltheseeffortsaimtoencourageintellectualstocarryouttechnologicalandacademicinnovation,togivefullplaytotheroleofintellectualsinsocialandeconomicdevelopment,andintheimplementationofaninnovation-drivendevelopmentstrategy.
BuildingaPoolofHigh-levelTalents
AccordingtostatisticsoftheMinistryofHumanResourcesandSocialSecurity,bytheendof2015,Chinahadmorethan1,600academiciansinCASandCAE,and172,000expertswhoreceivedspecialallowancesfromtheStateCouncil.Thenumberofpeoplewhoobtainedprofessionalqualificationcertificatesreached17.97millionin2015.
Atthesametime,ChinaalsoadoptedvariouspoliciestoattractforeigntalentstoworkinChina.Bytheendof2015,240,000foreignershadbeenissuedworkpermitsforChina.Localgovernmentsandresearchinstitutionsalsoinvitedhigh-levelforeigntalentsonshort-termorlong-termvisits,includingNobelprizewinners,academiciansfromscienceandengineeringacademiesindevelopedcountries,andthousandsoffamousprofessorsfromallovertheworld.
Researcherssimulatetheinstallationofaremote-operatedvideocameraontheTianzhou-1cargospacecraftonMay29,2017.
ChinesecitiesthataremostattractivetoreturnedstudentsPresidentXisaidinhisspeechattheopeningoftheBeltandRoadForumonMay14,thatChinawouldenhancecooperationoninnovationwithothercountriesbylaunchingsci&techinnovationactionplanssuchasexchangesamongscientistsandtechnologists,andsettingupjointlaboratories,scienceparkcooperation,andtechnologytransfers.Inthecomingfiveyears,forexample,Chinawillinvite2,500youngforeignscientistsonshort-termresearchvisits,train5,000foreignscientists,engineersandmanagersandsetup50jointlaboratories.
Theexchangeoftalentsisalwaysintwodirections.YanNing,abiologistatTsinghuaUniversity,attractednationalattentioninMaywhensheannouncedthatshehadacceptedanofferfromPrincetonUniversityandwouldbecomeatenuredprofessorthere.ShewasinvitedtoreturnfromPrincetonandmanageanindependentlaboratoryatTsinghuaUniversityin2007.HerresearchresultswereselectedbySciencemagazineasoneofthe“top10achievements”in2009and2012,respectively.YanNingtoldthepressthatsheneedsnewinspirationtomakebreakthroughsinherfield.“AscientistwhojuststartedhercareerinChinadeservesourcongratulationsforsuchanopportunity,”China’sofficialnewsagencyXinhuacommented.
Chinastillhasalongwaytogobeforeitcancallitselfapoolofhigh-leveltalents.AsAndrewChiChihYaosaid,theonlywaytorealizethisvisionistomakescientistsworkingabroadfeelthatreturningtoChinaisthebestchoice.
iNNOVATiON
Inrecentyears,Chinahasbeenattachinggreaterimportancetotechnologicalinnovationandincreasinginputinrelatedfields.