New Vision, Strategy and Measures for Talent Development in the New Era

New Vision, Strategy and Measures for Talent Development in the New Era*

September 27, 2021

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Central Committee has answered a series of important theoretical and practical questions about building a talent-strong country, including why and how to achieve it. It has put forward a new vision, a new strategy and a range of measures for talent development.

First, we should uphold the Party’s overall leadership over talent-related work. This is the fundamental guarantee for developing a contingent of people of high caliber.

The future of a country depends on talent. By exercising leadership over the management and development of talent, the Party should strengthen self-reliance in science and technology through the strategy of building a talent-strong country. We should provide strong political guidance as well as all-round support and assistance, and explore all avenues to nurture talent. We should value talented people, select them, put them in suitable posts, and stay engaged with them. This will enable us to attract capable people from both within and outside the Party and from both China and abroad to join us in the great cause of the Party and the people. We must train the right combination of high-caliber people in large numbers.

Second, we should ensure that talent plays a strategic role in driving development, which is a major strategy for building a contingent of people of high caliber.

Talent is the primary driver of innovation. Talented people are a key strength that will enable China to prevail in fierce international competition. Innovation-driven development is, in essence, talent-driven development. As we are in a new development stage, we should apply the new development philosophy, create a new development dynamic, and promote high-quality development. In pursuing this goal, we must give top priority to human resources, cultivate a strategic talent pool, and thus lay a solid foundation for innovation-driven development.

Third, we should target global scientific and technological frontiers, serve the economy, meet major national needs, and strive to improve people’s lives and health. This is the goal for developing a contingent of people of high caliber.

We must support and encourage our scientists and engineers to keep abreast of global advances in science and technology and achieve first-class research outcomes. To meet the urgent and long-term needs of China’s development, they should boldly put forward new theories, explore new frontiers, and map out new routes. They should deliver more outcomes of strategic significance in key fields, and make breakthroughs in developing core technologies. They should explore the unknown in science and technology, and apply research findings to socialist modernization.

Fourth, we should provide well-rounded training for talent and tap into their full potential. This is the top priority in developing a contingent of people of high caliber.

We must be confident in our capacity to nurture talent, develop top-notch personnel and teams for innovation, and cultivate a reserve of young scientists and engineers who are internationally competitive. We should assign talent to suitable posts, and make sure they are managed, supported and rewarded in the right ways. We should promote competent young people, and give full play to their creativity and capacity for innovation. We must broaden our vision in selecting talent and put them in the right posts regardless of their background.

Fifth, we should expand the institutional reform of talent development. This is an important guarantee for developing a contingent of people of high caliber.

We must remove all institutional barriers in training, posting, evaluating, supporting and incentivizing talent. We should discard the criteria that overemphasize research papers, academic titles, educational backgrounds, and awards. Instead, we should give more say to employers, and create an accommodating environment for talent development. We should turn our institutional strengths into competitive strengths in talent and technology. We should put in place effective training, hiring, incentive and competition mechanisms that enable talent to pursue excellence. We should free researchers from pointless formalities and bureaucratic constraints in their work.

Sixth, we should search for the best minds and give full rein to their expertise, which is crucial for developing a contingent of people of high caliber.

China welcomes talent from all countries to participate in its development and offers opportunities for their career development. We should introduce talent recruitment policies that are more robust, open and effective, make the best use of innovative resources across the world, and adopt targeted measures to bring in urgently needed talent. We should develop an institutional framework that is appealing and internationally competitive. We should move faster to build China into a global talent and innovation center.

Seventh, we should create an enabling environment for identifying, respecting, cherishing and giving full play to talent, which will create the social conditions necessary for developing a contingent of people of high caliber.

We must foster a social environment of respecting and valuing talent, an institutional environment that promotes fairness and equality and that facilitates the selection of the best among competitors, and a living environment with satisfactory support and appropriate benefits. In short, we should create the best conditions possible for talent to fully devote themselves to their work, and foster a culture that encourages creativity and innovation throughout society.

Eighth, we should promote the ethos of scientists as a source of inspiration for developing a contingent of people of high caliber.

We should champion patriotism expressed by honoring the country and serving the people. We should pursue innovation by meeting challenges and breaking new ground. We should advocate a truth-seeking approach and a scrupulous attitude to scholarly work. We should encourage dedication and commitment and resist the temptations of fame and fortune. We should encourage teamwork and collaboration to pool wisdom to tackle tough problems. We should encourage seasoned talent to impart their knowledge and experience to help young people achieve success. We should inspire people in various sectors to blaze new trails for innovation and work hard for the country.

These eight principles encapsulate our understanding of talent development. We should continue to implement and enrich these principles.

* Part of the speech at the Central Conference on Talent.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)