The third Pudong International Talent Hub Forum takes place in Shanghai on Dec 6. [Photo/WeChat ID: pudongtalenthub]

Shanghai’s Pudong New Area announced the latest achievements of its talent initiatives and unveiled new policies, platforms, and projects to promote talent development at the recent 2023 Pudong International Talent Hub Forum, as it is striving to develop an "international talent development leading zone".

Gather scientists and technologists in strategically important fields

Earlier this year, Pudong put forward a slew of highly integrated and systematic talent attraction projects and policies, one of which is known as the Pearl Project.

The project proposes bringing in high-level international talent at the forefront of science and technology. For such talent, 12 incentives will be given, including financial support, project subsidies, entrepreneurship support and social security.

The first batch of over 800 talents, selected from more than 3,400 applications, recently received their certificates identifying them as such talent.

Liu Jingyi, chairman and CEO of Nasal Phyto, is a "Pearl Elite Talent". She said that Shanghai is a strategic stronghold for the biopharmaceutical industry, and Pudong’s Zhangjiang area provides fertile ground for its development. "The recognition I received is not only an affirmation and acknowledgment but also a motivation or our company to attract more talent and exert greater influence," she said.

Zhang Jian, co-founder of Data Grand and a "Pearl Engineer", expressed the company's strong demand for talent. The various talent policies provide better support for talent recruitment and offer strong assistance for the company's technological research and subsequent development, he said.

Through the implementation of specialized policies such as the " Pearl Project", "Eight Measures for Academicians", and "10 Measures for Postdoctoral Researchers", Pudong has attracted a number of innovative or industrial projects led by high-level talent. During the forum, several significant talent projects were announced and confirmed.

These projects include major innovation projects led by high-level international talent, investment projects led by leading local talent, and high-growth potential technology entrepreneurship projects. They cover key industries such as integrated circuits, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, electronic information, life and health, high-end equipment, and advanced materials. The implementation of these talent projects will help Pudong strengthen its leadership in scientific and industrial innovation.

The Pudong New Area Global Talent Partner Program was launched at the forum, inviting a group of experts and professional institutions as talent scouts to recruit more high-level innovative and entrepreneurial talent from around the world.

Two major platforms officially launched

During this year's forum, the Well-known Overseas Schools Association Cooperation Platform was unveiled as an innovative talent attraction model following the Pudong International Talent Station project. It is an important measure for expanding talent channels and establishing a talent attraction brand, further enhancing the recruitment of outstanding young talent from overseas.

Leveraging the Pudong International Talent Station, the Well-known Overseas Schools Association Cooperation Platform will strengthen cooperation with top universities and student organizations, jointly creating a closely integrated platform that combines overseas talent attraction activities, exchanges for returning overseas entrepreneurs, and international academic talent support. The platform will provide strong support for expert talent pursuing employment, entrepreneurship, or academic exchanges in Pudong.

Li Tingting, the person in charge of the Pudong International Talent Station, revealed that the station has already established contact and cooperation with more than 30 international top universities and student organizations. Furthermore, through the Well-known Overseas Schools Association Cooperation Platform, the scope of service will be further expanded.

Ding Han, chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association in Cambridge, who participated in the "2023 Visit to Pudong for Elite Students from Cambridge University" activity this year, said that the Well-known Overseas Schools Association Cooperation Platform will serve as an information-sharing and talent matching platform, providing reassurance for overseas students returning to China to work or start businesses, which is of great significance.

To better match the supply of talent apartments with demand from talent, the forum introduced the Talent Housing Information Service Platform. In recent years, Pudong has been implementing talent housing projects and has established a talent housing security system that encompasses rentals, purchases, subsidies, and services. More than 90,000 talent housing rental units have been provided so far.

Cheng Ying, deputy director of the housing construction and guarantee management division of Pudong’s construction and management committee, explained that after the platform goes online, employers and talents can use it for a panoramic view, to visualize property tours, and to select apartments with just one click. This will improve the experience for talent as they search for housing, allowing them to efficiently find suitable housing near their workplaces.

Enhance talent attraction and retention through competitions

The organizing committee of this year's Pudong International Talent Hub Forum also organized the third edition of the "2023 Best Workplaces to Work" and "2023 Most Promising Returnee Entrepreneurship Team" competitions to attract and retain talent. A total of 30 workplaces and 30 entrepreneurship teams were selected this year.

The "2023 Best Workplaces to Work" competition, launched in August, identified and selected workplaces that are most suitable for talent, encouraging organizations to build diverse, equal, and inclusive environments. The competition attracted 110 companies from various industries, including biopharmaceuticals, industrial manufacturing, IT internet, culture and tourism, fast-moving consumer goods retail, and finance.

The third "Most Promising Returnee Entrepreneurship Team" competition focused on Pudong's leading industries and cutting-edge fields, leveraging the region's strong talent development environment. It invited global innovative and entrepreneurial talent and teams to achieve success and pursue their dreams in Pudong.

Wu Hao, representative of the award-winning project "Next-generation Extracellular Targeted Delivery Platform for Nucleic Acid Drugs", said that the competition provided an excellent platform for the team to showcase themselves and talk with peers, which is highly beneficial for their future development. He expressed his delight at receiving support from various parties in Pudong New Area during the process of transforming their entrepreneurial concept into an actual startup.

This year's winning projects showcased excellence in three key areas. Firstly, the integration of artificial intelligence played a pivotal role in various industries, with the "Smart Future" track dominating the competition. This integration influenced fields such as biopharmaceuticals, automotive manufacturing, new energy, and chemicals. In addition, 20 percent of the projects centered around ChatGPT+AI-related advancements, reflecting growing interest in this field.

Secondly, the competition attracted a significant number of participants who graduated from renowned overseas universities, with 90 percent of participants graduating from top-tier international institutions, including over half from the world's top 50 universities.

Lastly, the participating project teams demonstrated remarkable leadership abilities, showcasing their overall growth and development. They exhibited qualities such as perseverance, keenness, and a sense of responsibility, which proved advantageous in overcoming entrepreneurial challenges and leading and uniting partners to achieve shared goals.