Forum highlights demand for talents in reaching Shanghai's 'five centers' goal

Over 200 scholars, experts and company representatives gathered at a conference in downtown Xuhui District on April 11 to discuss ways to accelerate the construction of "five centers" in Shanghai. The government’s goal is to make the city an international shipping center, science and technology innovation center, as well as interrelated economic, finance and trade centers.

Training was one of the major topics. Yao Kai, professor of the School of Management, Fudan University, said that talented individuals are playing a crucial role in driving the city’s international competitiveness. Shanghai now has more than 800,000 talents in its three pillar industries -- integrated circuits, biomedicine and artificial intelligence. But, Yao added, that’s far from enough.

To meet the demands for talents, Fudan University and CIIC Management Consulting Company have launched a research project. The two sides will work together to conduct surveys and build a database to address the problem of recruiting in key industries.

"Shanghai remains an ideal city for people to develop their career, considering its improved business environment and the increasing number of high-end manufacturing industries and R&D centers," said Wang Jia, senior partner of CIIC Management Consulting Company. According to a survey conducted by German-British academic publisher Springer Nature last year, Shanghai ranked fourth in terms of the world’s top municipalities with the best conditions for people in the science and technology sector.