Those who have studied abroad are finding good jobs back in Shandong through a provincial recruitment plan that aims to introduce up to 10,000 foreign-educated professionals over 10 years to spurinnovation, promote scientific research and improve corporate management.

Shandong hopes to become a land that fulfills the dreams of a betterworkplace and quality services, said Jiang Daming, governor theprovince.

To help in the effort, the province plans to build 100 bases for returningtalent over the next 10 years.

Some 38 of the sites are now operational, home to more than 2,000 projects with overseas Chineseexpertise.

One of the centers is Yantai Overseas Chinese Scholar Park with 300 such graduates from overseas.

Of them, nine have been awarded the title of Mount Taishan Scholars, a reward for returning talentwho make great contributions to Shandong's development.

The returnees have developed 481 projects in Yantai, 90 percent of them in high-tech industries.

Those who qualify as a Mount Taishan Scholar can receive up to 2 million yuan ($317,200) in supportfrom the provincial government.

In all, 231 overseas Chinese have been recipients of the title and funding.

Through a package of favorable policies and services, Ji'nan Overseas Chinese Scholar Park is alsoattracting a growing number of Chinese with overseas experience who are seeking businessopportunities in the city.

"We will try our best to provide a comfortable work environment and a full range of services to helpthem adjust to daily life and work in China as soon as possible," said An Min, office director of the park.

"There are 17 special teams offering comprehensive services, for example, helping with registration atthe bureaus of industry and commerce and intellectual property protection, as well as financial andlegal assistance," she said.

To date, more than 400 Chinese with experience in 21 countries and regions have started their ownbusinesses in the park.

They have brought in some 1,000 projects and filed for 1,200 patents in a variety of sectors includinginformation technology, biomedicine, software engineering and advanced manufacturing.

Most enterprises operated by returning expertise have had sound development.

Among them, five have annual sales revenues of more than 100 million yuan.

A 210,000-square-meter "business incubation center" is under construction in the park at a cost of780 million yuan. It will offer better technological support to local businesses when it is completed nextyear, said An.

By Zhao Ruixue (China Daily)

Contact the writers at zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn and wangqian2@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/28/2012 page12)