Wuhan University seeks overseas talent in recruiting stop at UC Berkeley

Wuhan University, one of the oldest educational institutions in China, is looking to recruit talent from overseas for its faculty.

A delegation headed by the university's president, Dou Xiankang, held a recruitment event on Monday at the University of California, Berkeley after hosting two similar events in Boston and New York over the weekend.

Wuhan University has an excellent academic and research environment and beautiful scenery, Dou told about 20 students and scholars at the Berkeley event.

He said the university is focusing on talent recruitment and this year marks the "year of strong talent" for the university.

Wuhan University is among the top 10 universities in China and a major receiver of state funding for Project 985 and Project 211. Those projects were set up to promote the development and reputation of the Chinese higher-education system,to raise the research standards of high-level universities and to cultivate strategies for socioeconomic development.

"Rapid progress has been made in China over the past 20 years in terms of academic and research environment," said Dou. "Wuhan University plans to build a highly competitive team not only nationwide but also worldwide within the next five to 10 years."

"I hope the Chinese talent studying overseas now can find their place in Wuhan University as it's advancing from a first-class university to one of the top universities in China," said Dou. "I encourage the talent to participate in the progress when China is realizing modernism and becoming a great power in the world."

Talent in industrial engineering, basic medicine and electronic information are especially needed, said Dou. Officials of the institutes of Industrial Engineering Research, Basic Medicine and Electronic Information also made speeches introducing their institutes to the attendees.

Deng Hexiang, a scholar who spoke on behalf ofoverseas talent, shared his personal story with the attendees.

"It was the Chinese New Year's Eve in 2010 when we overseas students gathered together to celebrate the festival in the US. Tears came tomy eyes as I thought of my families back in China,"he said.

"At that time I heard of the '1000 Talents Plan' of China, which turned out to be a great platform for innovators and entrepreneurs," Deng said. "I encourage the overseas Chinese students to realize their entrepreneurship dreams through similar programs," he said.

Second-tier cities may provide better opportunities to new graduates than Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, said Ma Hongxu, a doctoral candidate in geography at UC Berkeley.

"Even if we are in the US, we are circulating the news of China's talent policies and really excited about the potential," he said. "I think there are much more favorable policies now than five years ago when I graduated from Wuhan University."

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com