Nation fosters top-notch brains
( 2002-07-09 09:38 ) (1 )

China plans to foster 13 million experts and technical staff in the years ahead to meet the increasing demand for talented professionals to ensure the sustainable development of the economy.

By the year of 2005, the number of professionals, including top scientists, engineers, theorists and other personnel in specific fields, will amount to more than 54 million nationwide, a leading personnel official said Monday.

Meanwhile, the overall quality of such a professional contingent will be greatly improved.

Under the plan, Zhang Xuezhong, minister of personnel, said at a national conference in Beijing that by 2005, scientists and engineers engaged in research and technological development will reach more than 900,000 with 70 per cent of technical personnel graduating from junior colleges.

Before the conference, Vice- President Hu Jintao met 50 experts from different trades who were given the title of "outstanding specialists" at an awards ceremony in the Great Hall of the People.

Hu addressed the event and spoke highly of the experts for their outstanding contributions to China's technological innovation, economic development and social progress.

In the following years, China will introduce more high-tech talented professionals as well as personnel in the fields of information technology, international finance and trade, and experts who have mastered the rules of the World Trade Organization and multinational business, Zhang said.

Zhang made it clear that the priority for China's cultivation of professionals will be given to the training of multi-level academic and technological leaders to create a team of world class young scientists.

Such a "Talent Project in the New Century" aims to train a younger generation of scientists so that they can fill the vacuum left by the retirement of the older generation of Chinese scientists.

The project, initiated nationwide in 1995, will train around 100 world class young scientists, 1,000 academic and technological leaders within China and 10,000 core members to help boost the country's various academic fields.

Zhang also said that China will continue to attract more overseas Chinese students to return to China.