Who will carry forward China tomorrow (Perspective on the hot issue of talent)

Author: Wen Jinhai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Talent Drain Becomes Hidden Concern for Universities
In March 2005, at the National "Two Sessions," the president of Lanzhou University, Li Fasheng, expressed deep concern, saying that in the past 10 years, the high-level talent lost by Lanzhou University could have founded another university of the same caliber. In western China, Lanzhou University is top-tier in both teaching quality and faculty level. However, in recent years, talent drain has posed unprecedented challenges to the university. The case of Lanzhou University is not an isolated one. In recent years, talent drain from universities in China has become a widespread phenomenon. Central and western regions have been the hardest hit. Statistics show that during the "Ninth Five-Year Plan" period, Shanxi Province lost over 1,500 master's degree or higher-qualified personnel from its universities, equivalent to the faculty of two modern universities. Shanxi Normal University, one of the five oldest provincial universities in Shanxi and one of the earliest undergraduate institutions in the province, has lost over 120 high-level talents with master's degrees or higher professional titles in recent years. Among them, 71 left while employed, and 51 went abroad after studying abroad and not returning. Among the lost talents, 35 held professional titles at the associate senior level or higher, 35 had doctorates, and 55 had master's degrees. In terms of age structure, 72 were under 35 when they left, 34 were between 35 and 45, and 10 were between 45 and 60. These lost talents worked in various fields, including foreign languages, computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, as well as humanities, philosophy, and history.
North China University of Technology, located in Taiyuan, also lost 160 talents during the "Ninth Five-Year Plan" period. In the past two decades, about 1,400 teachers from nearly 20 universities in Shanxi Province have left their original institutions, with young teachers accounting for 70% of the total. The proportion of teachers with doctorates and master's degrees among those leaving has also been increasing year by year. In 1991, it was 7.3%, and by 1996, it had risen to 50.6%, surpassing half. The destinations of these talents, except for a small number who went abroad, were mainly the developed provinces and cities in the southeastern coastal region, with some also moving to central and western regions or within the province. The reasons for talent drain, except for a few who left for work-related reasons or to resolve spousal separation, are largely related to treatment and working conditions. Enterprises, universities, and research institutions in the southeastern coastal region, which are more developed, use high salaries and favorable working conditions to compete for outstanding talents from central and western universities, which is a major reason for the talent drain in these regions. However, the situation in the eastern coastal region is also not optimistic. According to statistics from East China Jiaotong University, the number of teachers who left or resigned without notice (lecturers and above) was 11 in 2001 and increased to 19 in 2002. Although this number is lower than the number of new hires, the increasing trend of talent loss is indeed a cause for concern.
Some universities have signed agreements with teachers to prevent talent drain. However, some teachers do not care about these agreements and prefer to "buy freedom" at the cost of money. In cases handled by East China Jiaotong University, the maximum penalty paid by teachers was only 80,000 yuan, which is not much for a well-known professor. Some professors frankly admitted, "We can earn this amount back in a year!" It is understood that in reality, many penalties are not