Companies search for PhD graduates abroad

With the job market for college graduates in China remaining uncertain, electrical appliance manufacturer Midea has said it is increasing its recruitment, particularly among Chinese graduates who've studied overseas.

Midea, listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange and valued at about $60 billion, operates in more than 200 countries and regions around the globe, with 33 R&D centers and 40 production bases, so its demand for internationally minded professionals remains high, the company said.

In July, Midea hosted six job fairs in the United States, including at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, where it attracted some 300 graduates to take an interest in its opportunities. Most of the technical positions were aimed at PhD graduates, Midea said.

"Almost all the positions attracted competition among Chinese students pursuing further studies abroad, and many are currently in the interview process," said Liu Ruiqun, director of global campus recruitment at Midea Group.

"To align with the group's development strategy, our demand for international talent continues to increase and the scale of our recruitment of overseas graduates has continued to rise over the years. Also, we're increasingly focusing on highly educated groups," she said.

The jobless rate among those aged 16 to 24 was 13.2 percent in June, and the urban unemployment rate for those aged between 25 and 29 was 6.4 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Despite these figures being higher than desired, multinational companies like Midea still require returnees with PhD degrees to make good use of their professional knowledge, international vision and capabilities for innovation.

"We welcome excellent students in top professional fields from universities both from home and abroad. It's basically about whether a certain discipline of a school is competitive globally, and matches the technology required by our group," Liu said.

In March, four Chinese giants in technology, electric vehicle batteries and fast-fashion online retail held recruitment fairs at seven universities in the United Kingdom seeking Chinese graduates with excellent qualifications and skills.

Some Chinese enterprises, especially those in the industries of automobiles, internet, healthcare, new energy and investment, have been looking to go global in recent years.