Scientists debate talent recruitment and development in Wuxi

Shi Yigong, vice-president of Tsinghua University, gives a speech on the development of talent introduction in China over the past 10 years at a talent-themed summit in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Aug 26. [Photo/Wuxi information office]

Shi recalled the difficulties in recruiting overseas talent 10 years ago. However, with the country's overall advancement and the increasing investment in basic research, Shi claimed that Tsinghua is now able to beat 90 percent of them when recruiting international professionals.

"The power of a country lies in its scientific and technological development, while the latter is mastered by talent,"Shi said.

Considering that higher education is essential to talent cultivation, he and some other Chinese scientists initiated a university project in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, called Westlake University –– the first private research university in China which only enrolls doctoral students at the preliminary stage.

Yang pointed out that before seeking talented individuals, we should first identify society's problems. He gave an example of data security which he stressed is vital to the future development of information technology.

The other speakers presented new innovations in high-speed trains, facial recognition, artificial intelligence, and physics.

The summit, which focused on how talent can boost intelligent manufacturing, was a major part of a conference on talent exchange organized by Wuxi government and the Association of Thousand Talents Program on Aug 26-27. The grand conference, also a business matchmaking event, aimed to attract hundreds of China's leading researchers and projects to move to the city in Jiangsu province.

Focusing on professionals in high-tech industries, the conference would support Wuxi's push to become a base for talent and advanced industries, said Zhou Ying, director of the organization department of Wuxi Party committee at a news conference on Aug 22.