Multipronged approach by Xiamen in hunt for international talent

Xiamen has been relentless in its efforts to attract talents internationally and cultivate local people, in a bid to become a modern international city with high quality and a pleasant environment.

On July 6, an activity named the Xiamen Talent Service Month was initiated in the coastal city in East China's Fujian province. The activity is themed with "Introducing international talents and promoting integrated development of cross-Strait quality human resources".Throughout the period, Xiamen plans to organize 30 diverse activities and announce 80 talent service items.

More than 300 academicians, young talents and other high-level people participated in the opening ceremony.

During the event, a group of global academicians and experts signed cooperation agreements with local companies and research institutions on cutting-edge projects in such fields as new materials, modern agriculture and the urban environment.

Also, for the first time the event introduced a global interuniversity talent training program by gathering 10-plus prestigious universities worldwide like Peking University, the Singapore Campus of James Cook University and Nankai University. They will cultivate young talents together with local companies.

A promotional video on international talent attraction was issued at the opening ceremony, and a scientific and technological innovation cooperation alliance was launched for the rare earth industry, to enhance the influence of Xiamen talents.

The Xiamen Talent Service Month, which has been held for three sessions, has played an important role in promoting the city's image and talent policies. It has been widely praised by both talented workers and enterprises.

Talent is the prime resource and lifeblood of economic and industrial development, local officials said.

Xiamen has taken a series of actions to attract more talents. In March, the city established a talent attraction alliance by integrating functions and resources of city government agencies, companies and human resources agencies.

It now consists of 92 companies and 11 units of sci-tech research, culture and education, covering such industries as electronic information, machinery and equipment, financial services, biomedicine and new materials. Members of the alliance can attract talents globally by uploading job information to the Xiamen international talent recruitment website.

The website has posted more than 7,000 job positions for its members and nearly 13,000 people have sent out resumes.

The alliance has helped its members recruit graduates from University College London, Nanyang Technological University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and other well-known universities.

Xiamen has also set up an international talent work station in Beijing, in a bid to maintain close contact with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering and other research institutions, as well as universities like Peking and Tsinghua.

The work station aims to link to international innovation and entrepreneurship resources, and establish a talent pool.

It also plans to promote industry-university-research cooperation between educational institutions and enterprises in Beijing and Xiamen, as well as strengthening the joint training of people.

Earlier efforts made by Xiamen to attract talent include an overseas entrepreneurship competition, which was launched in 2017. The competition helps to enable overseas talents to learn more about the city's potential in innovation and entrepreneurship. According to organizers, the competition has attracted more than 900 talent projects so far, involving industries like information technology, artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing and biomedicine. One project implemented in Xiamen boasts a market value estimated at 2 billion yuan ($281 million).

Xiamen insists on creating a talent development ecology. In 2002, Xiamen took the lead nationally to issue regulations that support overseas students to start businesses in the city.

Moreover, it has promoted the mutual recognition of work permits for high-end foreign talents within the province and formulated standards for the identification of top-notch and urgently-needed foreign workers.

Xiamen was one of four cities approved by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange to pilot a policy where foreigners enjoy convenient access to currency exchange services for their salaries at local banks. A one-stop service window for expats to apply for work and residence permits was set up in 2020.This window is the first of its kind in China to integrate administrative procedures from different departments. A substation was also set up at the Guanren community.

Also, Xiamen as one of China's special economic zones boasts many "firsts" in the province, such as the first online service hall for overseas students and the first matchmaking platform for talented returnees and projects, of which its influence has expanded to other cities in Fujian.

Currently, Xiamen boasts a total of 1.55 million talented individuals, including more than 56,000 international talents.

The number of overseas students exceeds 36,000. This remarkable achievement has earned the city prestigious titles such as China's Best Talent Attraction City, Top 10 Chinese Cities for Returnee Entrepreneurship, and City with the Most Potential in the Eyes of Foreign Talents.

Clockwise from top: Participants attend a talent introduction activity during the Xiamen Talent Service Month. More than 300 academicians, young talents and other high-level people participate in the opening ceremony. Experts hold a seminar during the event. CHINA DAILY