The international journal Nature spotlighted the competition among local governments in China to attract scientific and technological talent. It is analyzed that the efforts of local governments are creating synergy along with the central government's Thousand Talents Plan.
On the 9th (local time), Nature reported that the internal competition within China to attract the world's top scientific talent is intensifying, showcasing various cases from local governments.
In remote Qulin County, located in Sichuan Province, which is inland in China, PhD holders moving there can receive a one-time payment of 300,000 yuan (approximately 57 million won) and a monthly allowance of 1,000 yuan (190,000 won). The coastal city of Taizhou in Zhejiang Province offers university graduates up to 100,000 yuan (19 million won), while Hunan Province plans to support up to 1 million yuan (190 million won) for PhD students coming from abroad.
Universities also set unprecedented conditions for attracting talent. Kunming Medical University in Yunnan Province offers a salary of up to 1 million yuan to overseas young researchers selected as recipients of senior research funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, guaranteeing professor positions. Kunming Medical University has also included conditions such as a housing subsidy of 3.5 million yuan (664 million won), a minimum research support fund of 5 million yuan (949 million won), high-level medical insurance, and support for children's admission. This support is separate from the research funding provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Yanbo Wang, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, noted in an interview with Nature that 'the competition to attract talent in China is intense, both between cities and within districts of the same city.' He added, 'While salaries in some popular fields are still higher in the United States than in China, when considering the overall package, the gap has significantly narrowed.'
The central government has led the recruitment of scientific and technological talent in China. The Thousand Talents Plan, which began in late 2008, is a representative example. The plan aimed to attract 1,000 world-class scholars with exceptional treatment, focusing on bringing back Chinese researchers active overseas. Recently, as the level of the internal talent pool in China has risen, local governments have also intensified their competition for talent recruitment.
While the central government's talent recruitment targets world-class researchers or scholars, local governments are aiming for practical talent such as PhD students or postdoctoral researchers. Nature stated, 'Cities and provinces across China are launching hundreds of programs to attract domestic and international researchers and students,' adding that 'not only large subsidies but also various benefits such as housing, medical care, spouse employment, and children's education are provided.'
In particular, the possibility is high that talented scientists heading to China will increase as the Trump administration cuts the U.S. research and development budget and pressures foreign researchers. Not only China, but Europe and Japan are also making various efforts to attract talent leaving the United States.
In contrast, Korea is evaluated to be a step behind in the competition for attracting scientific and technological talent. Universities are creating programs to attract overseas students and researchers, but there are calls for more active efforts at the government level. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea have newly introduced an institutional recruitment model in their Brain Pool (BP) project to attract outstanding overseas researchers and increased the budget, but it is said to be grossly insufficient.
An official from a research-oriented university said, 'While we are expanding salaries and creating various packages at the university level to attract excellent researchers, the more important factor is the government's efforts and support.' They added, 'Outstanding researchers do not come merely for salary; they also look at the research environment, facilities, and funding support, which is something the government needs to provide.'
Another official from a research-oriented university stated, 'A researcher who receives a top credit rating in the United States struggles to get a mid-term loan in Korea.' They said, 'The government needs to step in to resolve these administrative issues, but when we talk to the Ministry of Science and ICT, they respond that it's not under their jurisdiction, which is frustrating.'