Shenzhen now boasts a talent pool of over 7 million individuals, with 920 locally based scholars among the top 2 percent of scientists in the world, according to official figures from Shenzhen.

Among the city’s talent pool are 26,200 high-caliber professionals from various sectors and 220,000 overseas returnees, Shenzhen’s authorities revealed on Wednesday.

The figures confirm the city’s reputation as China’s premier talent nexus and innovation high ground. The city’s authorities have pledged to continue with their efforts to seek and retain top high-caliber talent using a variety of robust policy measures. In recent years, many leading scientists have been flocking to the city, as it serves as an optimal platform for them to expand their research operations.

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These include Yan Ning, the 2024 laureate of the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Award for the Asia-Pacific region; Harry Shum Heung-yeung, a Chinese computer scientist who previously served as executive vice-president of Artificial Intelligence and Research at Microsoft; and renowned physicist Xue Qikun.  

Shenzhen’s authorities reaffirmed their commitment to nurturing and collaborating with talent of all types — regardless of origins or socioeconomic background — and vowed to continue with their efforts in this regard.

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More targeted measures are on the horizon. In addition to existing initiatives, such as the city’s Talent Scout Award and various incentive policies introduced in Dapeng New District, a new batch of measures and mechanisms is also to be rolled out in relation to talent evaluation standards and direct recognition of top-tier experts.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com