Four gaps that hinder overseas talents' return to China

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Four gaps that hinder overseas talents' return to China

(People's Daily Online) 08:13, October 18, 2013

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Wang Yaohui, vice president of Western Returned Scholars Associations and director of Center for China and Globalization

According to a research by the experts in Harvard University on the Chinese overseas top talents, 91.8 percent of Chinese overseas talents admit that there are better development opportunities in China. However, the gaps on carrier development, living environment, mobility condition and education environment with the developed countries still trouble their determination to go back home.

Facing a stagnant economic situation overseas, 800,000 Chinese students have returned home in the past five years after studying overseas, a trend that is likely to continue. According to an employment report of Chinese overseas students in 2012 released by Chinese Ministry of Education, among the overseas students who have returned to China, 76 percent obtained master degrees, only 11.2 percent had doctorate degrees. In 2005, 89.4 percent Chinese overseas with doctorate degree chose to work in the U.S., and the ratio decreased to 82 percent in 2011.

Wang Yaohui, vice president of Western Returned Scholars Associations and director of Center for China and Globalization believed that four gaps hinder the overseas top talents' way to return back to China.

Career development gap

According to Wang, China lags behind in the innovation system and scientific research management system. Entrepreneurs still calls for the government to improve fair competition and financing mechanisms. In developed countries, there are better opportunities for academic exchanges, easier way to get international recognition for the talents. In addition, he believed that easy interpersonal relationship in western countries helped produce more effective work.

Living environment gap

Behind the rapid economic development in recent year, there are some uneasy hidden worries such as environmental problems in China. By contrast, the comfortable living environment in developed countries is very attractive to Chinese people.

Mobility condition gab

There exists a high barrier for the brain flow in China. It's difficult to obtain a green card in China. Only the persons with senior position or senior professional title and living in China for at least 3 years will have the opportunity to obtain a green card. In 10 years, China has only issued less than 5,000 green cards. In contrast, the U.S. issues over 1 million green cards a year. Japan, South Korea and other neighboring countries do not have requirement for one's job title when issuing green cards.

Educational environment gap

Eastern and Western educational systems are different. Many of the children of overseas talents face the problem to adapt to the Chinese society. Some of them even can't speak Chinese. It's impossible for them to pass China's college entrance examinations. In addition, the tuition fees of the international schools specifically for overseas students are far more expensive than local standards.

Read the Chinese version: 四大差距阻碍高层次人才回国效力; Source:China Youth Daily; Author:Wang Congcong