REGIONAL> Highlights
Dalian to hold conference for overseas Chinese scholars
By Zhu Chengpei and Zhang Xiaomin (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-09-18 11:21

The 2008 Overseas Chinese Scholars Liaoning (Dalian) Conference will kick off next Wednesday in Dalian of Northeast China’s Liaoning province.

The conference, which provides a platform for the exchange of projects, human resources, capital, and information, aims to build a bridge for the overseas Chinese scholars to serve China, either as employees or self-employed people.

More than 20 overseas Chinese organizations as well as 715 Chinese students, who are studying in other countries like Russia, Japan, and America, have entered for the conference, according to Xing Zhankun, deputy director of the Administration Committee of Dalian High-Tech Industrial Zone.

The three-day conference will include two meetings, three exhibitions, and four forums, mainly serving for the self-employment of the overseas Chinese scholars back home.

Fifteen state-owned large and medium enterprises, 29 domestic universities, and over 100 companies, including IBM, HP, and ABB, will attend the human resources meeting.

The exhibition to promote the key industries of Liaoning province will attract representatives from all of Liaoning’s 14 cities. The host city Dalian will issue new policies on inviting talented people with foreign educational background.

Twenty-four state-level pioneer parks for overseas scholars will attend the exhibition to introduce their policies and working environments.

Representatives from 100 investment and finance institutions, 200 technological companies, and 100 overseas Chinese students will take part in the venture capital forum at the conference.

“The conference has made great contribution in attracting more overseas students back home,” said Xing Zhankun.

Over 3,000 of the 7,000 overseas scholars who have attended the conference in the past eight sessions have come back to serve China, he said.

“More than 2,200 of them came to work in Liaoning province, taking back over 1,000 projects, nearly 30 percent of which have generated advanced products,” said Xing.