The 2022 Pudong International Talent Hub Forum was held at the Zhangjiang Science Hall in Shanghai on Dec 7. It explored better ways of attracting and retaining global talents and discussed new approaches to the integration of talent, technology, and industry. 

The Shanghai Pudong International Talent Hub was set up in 2019 in the heart of Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in the Pudong New Area, positioned as a high-level talent service complex and human resource allocation hub.

The forum, which began last year, focuses on innovation trends, stories about Pudong, and talent development.

This year’s event assembled a host of extinguished scholars, experts, entrepreneurs, scientists, and various other talents who gave insightful opinions on the topic and witnessed the launch of a series of projects and platforms.

The forum was held at a main venue and three sub-venues. It was hosted by the Pudong New Area Talent Work Leadership Group Office, the Pudong New Area Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Tsung-dao Lee Institute of Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Zhangjiang Group. Shanghai Pudong Human Resources Co Ltd undertook it in conjunction with Korn Ferry.

New platforms, projects to increase talent attraction

Pudong New Area attaches great importance to the development of post-doctoral talent teams as it believes the effort will provide an enormous impetus to "the construction of a pioneer area". Multiple measures were rolled out to help foster a post-doctoral training system and attract high-level young talents at home and abroad to carry out post-doctoral scientific research in Pudong.

Last year’s event saw the opening of 12 post-doctoral innovation practice centers. At this year's main forum, 87 enterprises released a total of 209 post-doctoral innovation projects, covering such fields as biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and high-end equipment that are prioritized in Pudong. Executives were eager to find suitable post-doctoral talents, wherever they are from and whoever has cutting-edge research and analytical skills, as long as they can help tackle critical technology problems.

The Pudong International Talent Station was unveiled during the event. It will be used to build a sci-tech talent pool. The station will launch pilot work in Zhangjiang Science City during the first phase. In addition to offering free workplaces and living spaces, the station also provides comprehensive services such as policy consultation and career networking and helps organize community activities. It aims to create “the first stop for returnees to start a business” and "the first stop for international talents to start a career". It aspires to become a window for Pudong to attract global high-level entrepreneurial teams and technological innovation talents.

High-skilled talents are an essential force in supporting Chinese manufacturing and Chinese creation. In order to broaden vocational training and development channels for aviation high-skilled talents, the Pudong Assembly Manufacturing Center of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) took the lead in implementing the reform of the "new eight-level worker" vocational skill level system in Pudong. It also began the evaluation and recruitment of special-grade technicians. Two representatives from the first group of special-grade technicians in the Shanghai aircraft manufacturing field were presented with certificates at the event.

In 2019, Pudong officially initiated the "Elites Gathering in Pudong" program and has so far established contact with nearly 30 well-known university alumni associations. During the forum, representatives of 16 university alumni associations, including CEIBS Shanghai Alumni Association and Cambridge University Shanghai Alumni Association, were awarded certificates of entry into the Pudong International Talent Hub. The hub will continue to strengthen in-depth cooperation with alumni associations and support them by organizing talent activities and networking events and providing policy consultations.

The Global Finance & Technology Lab was unveiled at the event. It was co-founded by Professor Thomas J. Sargent, a Nobel laureate in economics, and two other Nobel laureates, along with New York University Shanghai and Zhangjiang Group. The laboratory is intended to break the traditional research paradigm of economics and finance by developing a brand-new set of economics research system based on machine learning and cybernetics which will be recognized by the international mainstream academic circles. Top mathematicians, economists, and artificial intelligence algorithm engineers will work together to create a data, management, and decision support system with real-time data as the core. It is expected to promote the construction of Shanghai as an international financial center and the city's digital transformation. It will help Chinese investors move forward at the forefront of global asset pricing.

Competition winners announced

Pudong ran the "Best Workplace in China" and "Returnee Venture Team with Most Potential" competitions this year to strengthen its appeal to global talents. The competitions attracted more than 150 companies and teams from all over the world, including 27 of the world's top 500 companies and five of China's top 500 companies, spanning across a wide range of industries, including biomedicine, industrial manufacturing, cultural tourism, high-tech, fast-moving retail, and finance.

After more than three months of competition, 30 international and domestic companies, including Novartis, Tesla, Sony, and Syngenta were considered the best workplaces in China in 2022. Thirty finalists won the “Returnee Venture Team with Most Potential" award and shared the honor together. Dave Ulrich, “father of modern HR”, gave a congratulatory speech online, and Chan Siufung, president of Korn Ferry Greater China, made an expert speech.

According to the organizing committee, 86.6 percent of participants graduated from high-level overseas universities, and more than half have doctoral degrees. Submitted projects are of great relevance to key industries in Pudong. About 93 percent of the projects targeted Pudong’s leading sectors and demonstrated good prospects in international markets. The new generation of digital and intelligent fields was a hot spot for the competition. The judge panel used the Korn Ferry Assessment of Leadership Potential to help identify candidates who possessed the highest potential for success in a leadership role. Award-winning teams exhibited the characteristics of being persistent, dutiful, sociable, and insightful.

Insights shared into future of talent development

Zhang Jie, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Tsung-dao Lee Institute, delivered a keynote speech at the main venue of the forum entitled "Gathering the world's top scientific elites and doing 'leading' basic research".

Human resource management master Mark Allen talked about the latest talent strategy in an online video.

Guo Min, chairman and founder of Kangma (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co Ltd, and Zhang Yi, global vice-president and DuPont Asia Pacific, made speeches, respectively.

The sub-forums were themed on scientists, academic research, and industrial development, centering on scientific and technological innovation, human resource allocation, talent, and industrial development.

Participants discussed the latest trends in talent strategies, shared the latest human resources development insights from different perspectives, and exchanged the latest human resource management experience, contributing intelligent solutions to developing international talent in Pudong.