Shenzhen forum attracts overseas professionals

More than 7,600 middle- to high-end jobs were on offer at the 21st Conference on International Exchange of Professionals held in Shenzhen, Guangdong province over the weekend, an event that also emphasized scientific exchange and international collaboration.

Under the theme of "pursuing common development and benefiting worldwide professionals in the drive to scientific and technological innovation", the conference featured a variety of forums, job fairs and exhibitions. It attracted 325 employers and about 10,000 government representatives, experts, scholars and top-notch talent from 28 countries and regions.

During his opening remarks, Zhang Guangjun, vice-minister of science and technology, emphasized the significant role of science and technology in China and highlighted the fact that the Ministry of Science and Technology has always placed great importance on this.

Looking to the future, Zhang said that China hopes to continue to expand cooperation and exchanges with countries worldwide, accelerate the development of key talent centers and innovation hubs, and create a platform for Chinese and foreign individuals to make scientific contributions and achieve personal fulfillment.

Efforts will be made to create a strategic training system led by scientists, supported by leading technology experts and innovation teams, with young tech talent as the backbone and agricultural engineers as the foundation, he added.

He also mentioned the establishment of a global scientific assistance fund, and increasing the openness of national science and technology plans. He encouraged more scientists from around the world to collaborate on major issues and called on innovators and researchers to engage in international exchange and cooperation.

One of the event's job fairs focused on middle- and high-end positions drew more than 8,000 visitors and received 6,000 resumes on the first day alone. Half of the applicants held bachelor's degrees and 44 percent had a master's degree or above.

About 40 percent of the vacancies offered annual salaries of 200,000-500,000 yuan ($29,100-$72,800), with another 28 percent offering up to a million yuan per year.

Feng Shengzhong, director of the National Supercomputing Center in Shenzhen, expressed hopes that CIEP 2023 will serve as a showcase for innovation and entrepreneurship and send this message to talented global individuals.

Some laboratories and large-scale projects currently under construction require supercomputing support, but talent is at a premium globally, Feng said.

Tysan Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed company, was also present at the conference. Xu Qiang, a deputy engineering manager, said the company planned to recruit civil engineers and geologists who are in short supply in Hong Kong.

Xu said that with some 12 million university graduates on the mainland this year, there is a wealth of mid-to-high-level talent to choose from.