Talents 'crucial for knowledge economy'

The Chinese Government has made significant efforts in the past five years to build world-class universities and disciplines, as well as enhance talent development, according to the government work report delivered at the annual session of the National People’s Congress.

This commitment to higher education is good news, as it “opens the door for talented students to participate in the knowledge economy and bring prosperity to China,” according to Guillermo Gallego, a professor from the School of Data Science at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen).

Gallego, who hails from the United States, told Shenzhen Daily that schools at CUHK-Shenzhen are actively developing new programs that respond to societal needs, which will undoubtedly contribute to the talent pool in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and beyond.

Guillermo Gallego, professor from the School of Data Science at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen). Courtesy of CUHK-Shenzhen

The government work report also emphasized the importance of sci-tech development, with China making full use of universities and research institutions, supporting the development of new research institutions, and promoting international sci-tech exchanges and cooperation over the past five years.

In terms of international sci-tech exchanges and cooperation, Gallego said that CUHK-Shenzhen has published research results in top journals and attracted talents from prestigious universities around the world, which will contribute to the international science and technology collaboration.

Gallego added that much more can be done in terms of global sci-tech collaboration by setting goals of hiring a more diverse group of faculty and students.

Gallego also advised encouraging collaboration where papers are jointly authored by students and faculty members in CUHK-Shenzhen with students and faculty from other top universities in the world, and where students and faculty more actively participate in world forums to present research results and to interact with other scholars from around the world.