Recently, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council held a national talent work conference and issued the "National Medium- and Long-Term Talent Development Plan Outline (2010-2020)", marking a new stage in the country's talent work.
In today's world, the competition for talent is becoming increasingly fierce, and countries are adjusting and implementing national talent strategies to seize opportunities and take the initiative in the global talent competition.
The United States has elevated the development of education and talent cultivation to a strategic position concerning national security, viewing the strengthening of basic education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as an important pillar of its talent strategy. At the same time, it is actively attracting outstanding foreign talent to work in the U.S. through policies such as relaxing immigration restrictions and increasing visa quotas.
In the "National Security Strategy" report released by the U.S. government in May 2010, it clearly linked the nation's "prosperity" and "leadership" to education and talent, making the development of education and talent cultivation an important component of national security strategy.
In this report, the U.S. government proposed to improve the education level at all levels, providing the public with a competitive complete education, including high-standard early education, reforming public schools, increasing college admission rates, strengthening vocational training, and focusing on skills education urgently needed by emerging industries; increasing investment in education in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, cultivating students' analytical and judgment skills, establishing partnerships with the private sector, non-profit organizations, and colleges to promote science and technology education and employment, and nurturing future scientists and innovators; strengthening international educational exchanges to help American students master the skills necessary for success.
Additionally, to enhance public school reform, the U.S. government launched the "Race to the Top" initiative in July 2009, allocating $4.35 billion to encourage local governments to reform the education system, innovate teaching methods, and cultivate students' international competitiveness. This initiative encourages states to address issues of advancement and employment collaboratively to develop common academic standards, effectively assess students' mastery of key knowledge and higher-order thinking skills through improved evaluation methods; expand support for schools, enhance teacher training levels, revise teacher assessment, compensation, and retention policies, placing the most talented teachers in the most needed positions to attract outstanding talent to teach in schools; establish longitudinal data systems to track student information over the long term, providing decision-making basis to improve teaching quality; and encourage states to innovate boldly, using effective methods to change the landscape of underperforming schools.
It is noteworthy that the U.S. views strengthening basic education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as an important pillar of its talent strategy. On November 23, 2009, President Obama initiated the "Innovation Education" campaign, driven by the government, businesses, and civil society, starting with extracurricular activities to further enhance American students' innovation capabilities over a decade. The U.S. Department of Energy also established a career-start research program to provide funding support to outstanding researchers, creating innovative conditions for them at the start of their careers. In January 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it would provide $85 million in research funding over the next five years to 69 outstanding scientists at American universities and research institutions to promote technological innovation.
The U.S. has established a positive competitive mechanism for attracting overseas talent and has become the largest beneficiary of global talent mobility. Many foreign students, especially those from developing countries, often seek ways to stay and work in the U.S. after studying and living there for several years. The U.S. can attract foreign talent on a large scale mainly due to its abundant job opportunities, high teaching standards, tolerant social environment, and relatively open immigration system.
Data shows that among U.S. doctoral degree holders in engineering and mathematics, about half are foreigners; approximately 50% of patent applicants for innovative achievements are foreigners; and from 1990 to 2004, more than one-third of American Nobel Prize winners were born abroad. According to the latest data from the Institute of International Education, the number of foreign students in the U.S. exceeded 670,000 in 2008, an increase of 8% from the previous year. These outstanding foreign students bring new vitality to American society and are a significant factor in maintaining the U.S.'s leading position in scientific research globally. At the same time, the tuition and living expenses they pay not only bring substantial economic benefits (reaching $15.54 billion in the 2007-2008 academic year) but also promote research in school scientific projects, enhancing the research level of American universities.
For a long time, the U.S. government has created conditions for outstanding foreign talent to work and settle in the U.S. through policies such as relaxing immigration restrictions and increasing visa quotas, one important aspect of which is increasing the quota for H-1B short-term work visas. In 1990, in response to the potential shortage of scientists and engineers, the U.S. decided to expand the preferential system for technical occupations in immigration law, increasing the annual quota for work immigration, including H-1B work visas, from 54,000 to 140,000.
Moreover, immigration law has prioritized the introduction of professional and technical personnel, simplifying the application procedures for foreigners to work, study, and do business in the U.S. In 2000, the U.S. government made significant adjustments to the H-1B work visa and work immigration policies. Starting in 2001, the annual quota for H-1B work visas was increased to 195,000 for three consecutive years, and it was stipulated that colleges, non-profit organizations, and government research institutions hiring foreign personnel would not be subject to quota restrictions. To alleviate the shortage of H-1B work visas, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in April 2008 that the internship period for F-1 visa students in science, technology, and engineering would be extended from 12 months to 29 months after graduation. All these measures have opened pathways for the U.S. to retain scarce talent.