Scientists debate talent recruitment and development in Wuxi

A talent-themed summit takes place in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Aug 26. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of top Chinese scientists from various academic backgrounds discussed the role of talent in China's industrial development at a talent-themed summit in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Aug 26.

The event invited 12 academicians from both China and abroad, as well as more than 200 members of the Thousand Talents Program –– China's national program for attracting global talent to work in the country. Representatives of government departments, local institutes and companies also took part in the summit with an eye to possible future cooperation with high-level experts.

Li Xiaomin, Party secretary for Wuxi, outlined the achievements the city has made in developing advanced industries and emphasized the important role of talent in the development of society.

"Wuxi is one of the birthplaces of China's modern industry and commerce, and the industrial and commercial genes of the city make it attractive for talented individuals,"Li said, adding that there are 1.6 million professionals in the city, 110,000 of whom are high-level, and 215 are from the Thousand Talents Program.

"During these past few years, the rapidly developing high-tech industries and advanced technologies in Wuxi, such as micro-electronics, the internet of things, and the supercomputer; have further raised the need for high-level professionals,"he said.

Six scientists –– Shi Yigong, famous biophysicist and vice-president of Tsinghua University; Ding Rongjun, fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering specializing in high-speed trains; Feng Jinzhang, vice-chairman of the Association of Thousand Talents Program; Yang Enhui, professor in information technology at the University of Waterloo; Du Jiangfeng, acting dean of the School of Physical Sciences at the University of Science and Technology of China; and Tang Xiao'ou, expert in artificial intelligence from the Chinese University of Hong Kong –– gave keynote speeches at the summit, introducing the latest developments in the high-tech sectors to interest attendees in innovation and start-ups.