On October 15, the 2024 China-Europe Talent Forum was held in Beijing. Yin Li, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, attended and addressed the opening ceremony, which was moderated by Yin Yong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Beijing.
In his speech, Yin Li expressed gratitude for the long-standing support from participants for talent development in Beijing. He emphasized that talent is the primary resource and the most active and dynamic factor in innovation. He noted that General Secretary Xi Jinping places great importance on talent work and that the Chinese government is committed to building a world-class talent and innovation hub. As the most significant economies globally, China and Europe are comprehensive strategic partners with vast potential for talent exchange and cooperation. As the capital of China, Beijing is a global metropolis that blends tradition and modernity, characterized by a vibrant economy, rich history and culture, openness and inclusiveness, social harmony and stability, and a livable ecological environment. Today, the city is striving to take the lead in basically achieving socialist modernization and build itself into an international innovation center and a global pacesetter for digital economy. It is also building a high-caliber talent hub that provides an enabling environment for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Yin Li stated that Beijing will further expand its talent pool, and implement more proactive, open, and effective talent policies to attract diverse talent. The city aims to offer a larger stage for talent, striving to become an incubator of original innovation, a prime location for major research, and a hub for high-end industries. Beijing will accelerate the development of Zhongguancun Science Park into a world-leading science and technology park, thereby serving as an engine for the high-quality development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. More platforms will be created to help talent grow and achieve their dreams in Beijing. Additionally, the city will foster a first-class talent development environment by further carrying out talent-related pilot reforms and enhancing intellectual property protection. Services system will be refined to streamline procedures related to entry and exit, currency exchange, and payment, thus providing talent with a friendly living and working environment. It will also deepen international talent exchange and cooperation by strengthening communication platforms like the China-Europe Talent Forum and the Global Top Entrepreneurship Competition Alliance. International talent organizations are encouraged to establish presence in Beijing. Efforts will be made to strengthen cooperation among universities and research institutions, thereby promoting high-quality global talent development.
During the opening ceremony, Former Prime Minister of France Jean-Pierre Raffarin delivered a video address. Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li, Swiss Ambassador to China Jürg Burri, President of China International Communications Group (CICG) Du Zhanyuan, President of Peking University Gong Qihuang, and Chairman of the Board of Switzerland’s Adecco Group Jean-Christophe Deslarzes delivered keynote speeches. Under the witness of leaders from the Beijing Municipal Government and the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), officials from the China Centre For International Science and Technology Exchange, the Beijing Association for Science and Technology (BAST), and the Beijing Talent Work Bureau jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Support of the Establishment of World Science and Technology Organization in Beijing. Leaders from the Beijing Municipal Government, along with officials from relevant departments, districts, and international organizations, jointly launched the GNIS (Global Network for Innovation Service) China-Europe Innovation Center. Additionally, representatives from Peking University and Adecco Group unveiled their joint practice base.
Since its inception in 2018, the China-Europe Talent Forum has become a vital platform for deepening China-Europe relations and promoting exchange and cooperation. This year’s forum, themed “Sharing Together, Growing Together, and Winning Together – Bridging Continents: Fostering Future-fit Talent Development”, featured in-depth discussions among Chinese and foreign dignitaries, international organization representatives, Nobel Prize laureates, renowned experts and scholars, and multinational company leaders. The forum also launched several China-Europe talent exchange projects and released research findings such as the Future Global Workforce Report and the 2024 Global City Talent Retention Index.
Wang Jinzhan, Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of CAST, leaders from Beijing Municipality You Jun and Zhao Lei, and Zeng Jin, Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality attended the forum.
(Written by Qi Mengzhu and Fan Junsheng)
