China's Talent Scheme Set To Derail Spore's FT Policy

• Yxxxone

  17 Apr 09, 01:39

  http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-04/16/content_7682212.htm Talent scheme attracts first group of foreigners By Wang Zhuoqiong (China Daily) Updated: 2009-04-16 08:03 The ambitious plan to attract talents from overseas has attracted the first group of 96 scientists and 26 entrepreneurs to the Chinese mainland. Of the group, more than 80 hold foreign passports, and four are of non-Chinese origin, the Central Organization Department's bureau of human resources has told China Daily. The plan is widely considered one of the key strategic moves to boost the country's strength of innovation. Launched in December, it promises attractive funding and compensation to the elite personnel who are working overseas and willing to work in China. "The number and caliber of applicants are beyond our expectation," said a senior official with the bureau. China's sound economy and improving science and research environment provide a broader platform for the talents, said the official, who declined to be named. When Ding Hong quit his post as a physics professor at Boston College to return to China, it shocked his colleagues. "People thought staying in the US was good for my career. But I wanted to contribute to the physics research going on in China," he told China Daily. "The projects I am working on will be top quality and are ahead of the US by at least two years. China can compete for the world's top talents - the government has offered tremendous support." Li Yuanchao, head of the Central Organization Department, said earlier the plan aims to help the country achieve its goal of becoming an innovation-oriented nation. It aims to attract 2,000 talents in 5-10 years. China reportedly tops the list for the number of researchers, with 38 million scientific personnel. But only 10,000 are considered top-level experts. The plan targets people with full professorships or the equivalent in developed countries. It offers a State relocation package of 1 million yuan ($146,000) in addition to salaries and research funding from the universities and institutes that hire them. The entrepreneurs typically bring on board their own technology and intellectual property rights, and set up enterprises in science parks. In the past 15 years, the country has attracted more than 4,000 researchers, mostly at postdoctoral or associate-professor levels, to work in the country through the Chinese Academy of Sciences' 100-Talents Scheme and the Ministry of Education's Yangtze River Scholar Scheme. Once a faculty member at Stanford University in California, Zhou Xingjiang decided to return to China four years ago. "Life was fine in the US, but it wasn't enough," the 43-year-old physicist told China Daily. Driven by the dream of spreading his wings and running his own laboratory, he returned to China, where he has gone on to invent the world's top spectroscopy equipment used to study the energy level of electrons, something he feels he would have been unable to accomplish if he had stayed in the US. Miao Hong, deputy director of the CAS's personnel department, said the new scheme shows China is capable of competing on the world arena for leading talents. Zhao Qinghua, an official of the Ministry of Science, said "the government has sufficient investment and resources in science and industrial development. Now we need the best people to make the investment pay off". -------------------------------------- Latest Updates At Singapore News Alternative: 1. The decline and fall of Singapore 2. Singapore scientists say can turn CO2 into biofuel 3. China's Talent Scheme Deals A Blow To Singapore's Foreign Talent Policy 4. China's White Rabbit candy returns back to Singapore after tainted milk scandal 5. Jakarta warns of spread in HFMD from Singapore 6. Hundreds of Indonesian workers stage protest rally outside Singapore embassy 7. NOL warns of hefty $240m first quarter loss 8. Hyundai wins building bid for Singapore oil cavern 9. No Quick Recovery For Singapore 10. Singapore warns foreigners against disrupting APEC 11. Temasek Foundation donates S$700k to Bhutan's Royal Education Council 12. Mutual insurer Skuld to close Singapore office 13. Singapore Airlines tipped to follow Qantas in cutbacks 14. Singapore mulls ban on unlicensed borrowing as loan shark violence surges 15. Indian National Wins Global On-line Promotion by Singapore Tourism Board 16. Chinese Bias for Baby Boys Creates a Gap of 32 Million 17. Singapore's metamorphosis unveiled at Arabian Travel Market 09 .
• will4

  17 Apr 09, 11:11

  It look like this country will face another brain drain for years to come.

• Stevenson101

  17 Apr 09, 11:13

  Seems to be a trend. I've went to CGOverDrive and saw a China company doing recruitment over there. I asked them quite bluntly why they're hiring here when they can get so much people in their country.

  Their answer was that they wanted different perspectives in their company. Seems like they're adapting to globalization pretty well.

• skythewood

  17 Apr 09, 11:15

  i don't see the word Singapore in the article, so i guess TS should explain about the derailing part in your own words?

• will4

  17 Apr 09, 11:17

  Originally posted by skythewood:

  i don't see the word Singapore in the article, so i guess TS should explain about the derailing part in your own words?

  
  I remember this article is linked to another article in Business Times today. It mentioned that China companies is trying to hire Spore talents.

• ahtansh

  17 Apr 09, 11:23

  China is just encouraging their ex-quitters back.

• will4

  17 Apr 09, 11:28

  Originally posted by ahtansh:

  China is just encouraging their ex-quitters back.

  
  I think every country including Spore is doing the same also.

• alwaysdisturbed

  17 Apr 09, 11:43

  Originally posted by ahtansh:

  China is just encouraging their ex-quitters back.

  
  developed already mah. got more leverage to get them back.

   

• Worldlybusinessman

  17 Apr 09, 18:29

  Originally posted by skythewood:

  i don't see the word Singapore in the article, so i guess TS should explain about the derailing part in your own words?

  what he meant i believe is the singaporean not returning to serve the nation. But in China, top talents return.

  Hence the brain drain singapore is expereincing.

• Worldlybusinessman

  17 Apr 09, 18:30

  Originally posted by will4:

  
  I think every country including Spore is doing the same also.

  s'pore doing the same but wat do the quitters get in return?

• Fantagf

  17 Apr 09, 20:49

  China talents stay put in China.    

• Fantagf

  17 Apr 09, 20:51

  Originally posted by Worldlybusinessman:

  what he meant i believe is the singaporean not returning to serve the nation. But in China, top talents return.

  Hence the brain drain singapore is expereincing.

  
  The pee ay pee govt mainly has heart for foreign talents, locals are secondary.    China is the favourite.   pui lee kuan yew!

• starExcaliblur

  18 Apr 09, 01:23

  Originally posted by Worldlybusinessman:

  s'pore doing the same but wat do the quitters get in return?

  
  Free one-way ticket to JB nursing home when they get old.

  Seriously, don't think those Sinagporeans that have left will want to come back here, especially if they have a better and successful life overseas. They may miss the food and friends here, but to come back here and subject themselves to screw by the PAP govt policies, don't think they will want to do that.

• Shotgun

  18 Apr 09, 01:28

  It was bound to happen.  China's low birthrates will bite them in about 10-20 yrs.  When they get there, they will have more jobs than people, hence China needs to start attracting foreign talents as well.  

  It sure didn't catch many of us by surprise, hence I'm sure it didn't surprise LKY was well.

• Worldlybusinessman

  18 Apr 09, 13:18

  think the whole world is expereincing a birthrate problem. It is both good and bad for opportunitites.

• HiAy3Captain

  18 Apr 09, 13:24

  just stay in cheena lah.